


The priest and the crimelord.

by Yolo0312



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Akihito got around, Akihito is a mother, Attempt at Humor, BAMF Takaba Akihito, Ghosts, Heats a periods, I Don't Even Know, I'm Sorry, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Original Character(s), Supernatural Elements, Teen Pregnancy, This is trash, this sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 10:26:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 86,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17405210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yolo0312/pseuds/Yolo0312
Summary: Takaba Akihito has a gift, and it is not getting in trouble, though he does that as well. Sometimes, he feels like he is in over his head, but that never stopped him before.





	1. Prologue ; part 1.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> Please enjoy reading even though it might be a waste of time.  
> Warning :: Male giving birth.

Everyone had a talent. Something they excelled in. Some had the voice of angel, others had the voice of a soul-queen. Some could bring drawings to life on paper with a few strokes of a pencil or paintbrush, while others could transport you to an entirely different world with either words or drawings. Some broke records while others saved lives. Some invented things or mastered a sport while others had a talent that seemed insignificant but was part of them.

Takaba Akihito’s talent was seeing ghosts. Believe it or not, it was true. His parents didn’t believe him, but his grandfather did. His grandmother must no doubt have her suspicions, but she never said a word of it when Akihito showed up at their door-step at two in the morning, distraught, pale faced and looking over his shoulder as if he was being chased. From the way he appeared during the day, nobody would ever be able to tell what secrets he carried.

On the surface, Takaba Akihito was just a regular teenager. In his second year of high school, he was rather popular with his peers. He had a foreign appearance with dirty blonde hair falling slightly in front of his light hazel eyes. There was always a bright smile on his face and someone around him he could talk with. It wasn’t unusual for him to get called out of class by someone who wanted to confess their feelings for him.

But a reality check came whenever he spaced out, distracted for a few seconds even when someone was talking to him. It was in those moments that Akihito was looking at things only his eyes could see. Most of the girlfriends he had had didn’t like the fact that he spaced out like that and demanded to know what it was that had his attention more than them. The blonde had learned a long time ago that whenever someone busted him with staring at empty air and asked what it was, that he should lie.

In elementary school, it had gotten him into trouble often enough, to the point the teacher had send child-services to his parents to ask them about their family affairs and his mental health. His parents had been anything but happy with this and had gotten the teacher who notified the child-services fired, but only after they had gotten Akihito back from the observation that had been done on his psyche. Clearly, even they must have had their doubts.

When Akihito had come back from the week he had spent in the psychiatric ward of the hospital after the doctors had pronounced him healthy and sane, his grandfather had been the one to pick him up. Takaba senior had had some wise words for his grandson that Akihito would live the rest of his life by. Some things really just were better left unsaid. Akihito had kept his gift a secret for the past 8 years after being suspected of having a mental illness.

But sometimes, remaining silent was the greatest poison to the soul there was. Keeping everything bottled up, it was unsurprising that Akihito started to rebel against his parents. He had no intention of becoming a doctor or lawyer like they wanted him to. He also had no intention of sitting around when they laughed with stories of the imaginary friends he had had in his youth, who for him had been anything but imaginary. He barely talked to his parents and mostly kept himself locked up in his room, until his father tried to get him outside with a camera as bribe.

It had worked, but not in the way his parents had hoped. At least not entirely. Now, instead of sitting inside with them or showing interest in his father’s job as photographer, Akihito was always outside. Either he was wandering around, he was at a friend’s place or he was at his grandfather’s shrine. Sometimes, he stayed outside until the early morning the next day, after which he would get a firm scolding for not letting his parents know. But what did they expect when they had had a fight before every emergency escape the blonde made until the early hours?

Luckily, ever since Akihito started working, he had less time to fight with his parents, though it didn’t happen as often as he made it seem. In fact, since he started getting interested in photography, he could count the fights they had had on one hand. But that also didn’t mean that everything was peachy between them since things were always tense with each of them carefully watching what they said. They were a normal family, but every family had its own issues.

“Akihito, table 5, 8 and 12” Mizuki said, calling the blonde’s attention so he could bring the bowls of ramen to the mentioned tables. The owner of the shop was an older man who had needed the help when Akihito needed the money to save up for his dream. Though the man was rather grumpy, his ramen was the best in town, proven by the many costumers that were visited his modest restaurant. There was never one quiet day, which kept him busy. Just the way Akihito liked it. At least in normal circumstances.

“Got it!” the teen said as he picked up the bowl, ignoring the squeezing pain in his lower stomach. The pain had been there for quite some time now, coming and going. It had started out as some cramps he was used to having when he had his first day of his heat. It wasn’t anything special, but it did get slightly worse. He’d started having them the evening before, but he brushed it off, knowing he had work to do and that Mizuki really did need the help. Besides, Akihito was used to his heat coming irregularly and varying of intensity, so this was nothing new to him as he easily carried the tray with bowls to the tables.

“Here you go” Akihito said with a smile as he put the last bowls down before moving on to an empty table to stack the empty bowls onto his tray, taking the damp cloth out of the pocket of his black half-apron to rub the table clean before moving on to the next one.

“Aki!” a regular costumer, aka his best friends Kou and Takato, called out to him, making the blonde look up from his third table.

“Coming!” he called back before picking up his tray, the stack of bowls swaying dangerously yet the teen carried it confidently as he walked over to the table that held his best friends and other schoolmates that were on the same soccer-team as Kou and Takato. They had just returned from a game and clearly wanted to enjoy the flavour of the restaurant that was _the_ hot-spot close to their school. It was the place to be for the cool kids who wanted to be tough and have their lunch off school-grounds. At noon, Akihito was usually with them, but he was not a member of the soccer-team, but the go-home club. Or better said, the go-to-work club. However, no-one on the team ever minded the fact that the blonde always sat with them.

“What’s it gonna be?” Akihito asked as he took out his notepad and a biro to jot down their order as they called it out, the tray placed temporarily on the table until he could report back to the kitchen. Having given through the order of the biggest table in the restaurant, Akihito took a short break, leaning against the wall next to the door, standing out of sight of the costumers at the bar counter. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his lower stomach, feeling the cramps pull through to his lower back as they gained a bit in strength. He was thankful for the towel wrapped around his fore-head to catch the sweat he could feel forming onto his skin, dripping down the back of his neck and soaking into his black T-shirt.

“Akihito? You okay?” Mizuki asked and though he sounded grumpy, Akihito could see that his frown was worried instead of displeased. The man really was easy to understand once you knew how to do it.

“I’m fine, Mizuki-san. Just some pre-heat cramps” Akihito said and pushed off again. If there was one thing he hated more than his parents making fun of his ability to see ghosts, it was worrying people. Mizuki harrumphed, turning back to preparing the orders.

“If you’re in pain, you shouldn’t be working” he said and Akihito snorted with a smile as he picked up his tray again.

“Then who will be helping you out to manage the restaurant?” he asked and the older man huffed again, throwing the white bottom of the chive at the blonde’s head as he ducked out of the kitchen, returning to work with a smile on his face, pretending he wasn’t having any cramps. When the evening rush had passed, Akihito couldn’t be more grateful. The cramps were getting stronger, strong enough to have him hunch over, hiding it by cleaning the tables.

“Akihito, you can finish up for today” Mizuki said as he exited the kitchen, placing two bowls of ramen in front of the businessmen sitting at the counter. Akihito released the breath he had held it through his cramp as he looked up over his shoulder at the restaurant owner.

“You sure?” the blonde asked and Mizuki jerked his head towards the door with a grunt.

“Drop off a delivery before you go” he said and Akihito stood straight to turn around.

“Got it” he said, glad that he could go home. The cramps were getting worse than he had anticipated even after going to the toilet and he just wanted to lie down and try to get some sleep. In the back-room of the kitchen, Akihito took off his apron, sighing relieved as he undid the towel he had used as bandana. His bangs were matted to his head as he hid his hair under a cap, grabbing his old jacket that held his phone, his wallet and his key.

After receiving the address and the delivery box, Akihito stepped outside. In the chilly early-evening air of April, the blonde zipper up his jacket to the top before burying his mouth and nose into the collar. He spared a single glance at the man squatting at the door, sloppily dressed in a black and white suit with his tie half-way undone. The man was clearly drunk with red cheeks and nose as he mumbled to himself. However, the chill down that ran down Akihito’s spine and the low buzz-tone in his ear betrayed the man’s nature. His body was no longer among the living, even if his spirit was.

Akihito knew from experience that the drunk souls were highly troublesome to deal with, so like every day he left or entered the restaurant, the blonde ignored the spirit. He had a policy regarding the dead. If they did not approach him, he was not going to approach them. However, because he had the ability to see them, he wasn’t going to leave them alone when they were confused and wanted help. But he was more careful after the child-service incident.

He had been eight. How the hell was he supposed to know it was not okay to help the husband of his teacher talk to his wife and tell her she hadn’t lost her wedding-ring but had left it on top of the fridge when she had remembered she was still wearing it when she had started doing the dishes?

Akihito didn’t get much time to get annoyed at the memory, as he felt the muscles in his lower stomach tighten again, this time to the point it was painful enough to make him pause in his walk. He hunched over with a hiss, placing his hand on his stomach as he tried to breathe through the pain. This was one of the worst pre-heat cramps he’d had, yet it wasn’t the worst. Because of this, he clicked his tongue at himself, knowing that he still had a delivery to make. After that, he could go home, take a warm bath to ease his back-ache and the craps and then go to sleep.

However, half-way home, he doubted he would make it. By then, the cramps were too much for him to handle while walking. Not to mention that he felt like he really needed to go to the toilet, despite having gone before. He was glad when the park close to his home came in view. Or rather, the public toilets inside the park at the play-ground. Akihito dragged himself towards the small building, forcing himself to walk upright when the cramps allowed him to. The initial gratefulness he felt upon sitting down disappeared as another cramp felt like it was gripping his lower stomach. As he looked down on his underwear, he felt fear squeeze his chest at the sight of the blood staining the fabric.

Akihito had thought nothing of it, brushing it off with the knowledge that it hadn’t been the first time he had gotten a small wound from pushing too hard. But this amount was hardly normal from such a small wound he should have received from going to the toilet at the restaurant before he left. A period wasn’t possible either, since male omegas, while they did have a something akin to a period like women, they didn’t leak blood, but slick. Slick was not red.

Panic started to set in as he frowned, his head racing to come up with reason why he would be bleeding, only to shut down when a cramp washed over him again, so badly he groaned soft though his clenched jaw, his hand moving out to brace himself against the wall off the toilet stall he occupied. His other hand moved to rest on his stomach, hoping the heat of his palm would elevate the tightness of his muscles as he leaned forward. He needed help, now.

As he reached for his phone in his pocket, ignoring the fact that his pained noises had alerted the lost souls in the restroom, Akihito bit on his lip, trying to bite through the pain. His vision blurred with tears and his hands trembled as he moved through his contact list, trying to find the number of the person he trusted the most before pressing on the green horn. Soft pleas fell from his lips as he let his head hang, holding the phone against his ear as he waited for the person on the other side to pick up.

[Aki-boy? Why are you calling so late?]

“Obaa-sama, i-is Ojii-sama around?” Akihito asked, the distraught clear in his voice as his fingers attempted to dig into the flimsy wall.

[Yeah, he’s here, playing shogi with your father. What’s wrong, honey? You sound like you’re in pain]

“O-obaa-sama, I need help. I-it hurts. I-I can’t move” Akihito said, the voice of his loving grandmother making his fear worse now that he had someone to fall back on. Someone who would remain stronger than him. However, his grandmothers next words were cut off by Akihito’s soft whine that turned into a pained moan as an intense pain once again claimed his lower abdomen.

[Akihito?! What’s wrong, boy? Where are you now?]

_What’s going on with him?_

_I don’t know, sweet-cakes. But he’s in pain, that’s for sure._

As if the pain wasn’t distracting enough, the young child looking through the stall-door together with the rather young woman decided to have a conversation about him. Besides, he couldn’t figure out the look the female spirit was giving him, as if she had an idea of what was happening to him. Akihito had no idea, so he couldn’t answer his grandmother’s first question. The second one, he was reluctant to answer because he knew his parents and grandparents didn’t come together often because of his parent’s busy schedules and Akihito didn’t want to bother them. But he was just in too much pain.

“I’m at the t-toilets at the park. Remember that small park close to our house?” Akihito asked and his grandmother hummed as the female soul approached the blonde thoughtfully.

[The one where you fell and broke your wrist and didn’t tell us for an entire day?]

“Y-yeah, that’s the one” Akihito confirmed and if he had been in any less pain and panic, he would have felt ashamed about that. But if he had to be honest, he’d rather get his arm broken again than the pain he was currently experiencing. At least then he knew what was going on.

[We’re coming, honey. Hang on, okay? Hidenori and Yoshio are taking the car]

Clearly, Takaba Sachiko knew that Akihito wouldn’t have called them if it had been nothing. She also knew that Akihito’s situation would likely require muscle to lift him, since he wouldn’t contact anyone crying if he was still able to walk on his own. The Takaba’s were like rocks, pretending to be immovable in the face of pain, each and every one of them. They preferred to grit through it on pure willpower before they contacted anyone else. However, Akihito was really grateful he had put his pride aside, keeping his phone in his hand as the call ended. The relief he felt about the assuring words of his grandmother were gone as soon as he became overly aware of the gazes directed at him.

“Could you please back off?! I’m not some kind of disaster-show” he hissed before it turned into another groan that had him hunch over again, the phone in his hand cracking with the force he squeezed the device with, yet it was still not as strong as the pain in his abdomen. Both souls were perplexed, the little boy even going as far as to jump back while the lady just blinked at him. Akihito wanted to curse himself for his inability to control his tongue.

_You can see us?_

“See, hear, converse. I can do it all, except touch” Akihito admitted and panted, blinking as a drop of sweat landed into his lashes before he blinked it away. The ghost boy looked curious as he tilted his head, peeking into the bathroom stall through the door.

_I-it’s been a long time since anyone could see us. My name is Izumi, what’s yours?_

_Izumi-kun, not now. Young man, are you in labour?_

The question brought Akihito to a halt. In labour? B-but he wasn’t pregnant. He couldn’t be. He hadn’t… Oh. No, he had.

“B-but I only had sex with a man one time” Akihito said as he looked down on the jeans wrapped around his ankles.

“It was only once! That’s too much of a coincidence! There are tons of people trying to get knocked up for years! I can’t have gotten pregnant after one time! Besides, I cleaned up after it!” Akihito said, his panic rising. Pregnant? A child?! He was a child himself! He was only sixteen! He was too young to take care of a baby! He still had school and other things he wanted to do! He couldn’t be pregnant and certainly not in labour! But apparently, his body was proving him otherwise, sending another cramp through his bowels, one he now recognized as a contraction.

_Let me see._

“Excuse me?!” Akihito lashed out affronted as he looked up at the woman who gave him a look that was supposed to reassure him. But when she was basically asking him to show her his ass, it wasn’t working. Not even in the slightest. And that was counting out the fact that she was dead.

_My name is Hisagi Sayuri and I’m a midwife. I have done this many times before, though not in these circumstances. Let me help you._

Akihito regarded her, the name raising a flag in his head. He had heard his father talk about a rape victim in the park that had been stabbed to death when she had struggled too much. Yoshio had still been a brat back then, but he had remembered the name because it had been such a spectacle back when it had happened. But before Akihito could ponder about his own situation, another contraction tore through him, ripping a soft cry from his widely parted lips before he snapped his mouth shut. There was no time to doubt. If he really was delivering a baby, a ghost-mid-wife was better than none at all.

“W-what do I do?” Akihito groaned as his body urged him to push, yet his mind resisted. Apparently, that was not the right thing to do.

_If you feel the need to push, push. But you might want to get off the toilet unless you want your baby to fall in._

Well, that wasn’t a pleasant sight, even in his mind. Akihito listened, remaining hunched over as he moved away from the toilet-bowl, thankful that it was at least a western one. He wouldn’t have known what to do if it had been a squat toilet. Though he didn’t know what to do now either.

“What now? Do I sit on the ground?” Akihito asked, his breathing a little rougher now that the need to push had finally grown too strong for him to ignore.

_You can sit on the ground, squat against the wall, sit on your knees and use the toilet as support. Whatever feels comfortable to you._

_Is he going to get a baby?_

_Yes, he is. Now go play for a while, Izumi-kun._

Akihito ignored the ghosts talking as he tried to find the position he was most comfortable in, kicking his jeans off one of his ankles so he could kneel down and lean onto the closed toilet lid. From his biology lessons, he somewhat knew what was about to come and if he was already this loud, it would be better if he bit down on his arm to muffle himself. He shrugged off his jacket, feeling too hot even when his body was shivering.

“Do I need to call an ambulance?” Akihito asked as his body automatically started to rock back and forward in an attempt to relief the pain.

_Yes. Now, how many time is in between the contractions?_

“I don’t know? I started having pre-heat cramps yesterday evening before dinner. They started getting worse this morning, but not enough to worry me. At least not until the last three hours of my work and I only know that because evening rush stops at the same time every day, three hours before I’m done” Akihito said as he flipped open his phone again, shakily typing in the number of the ambulance. As expected, in the presence of a lost soul, his phone lagged slightly, but the call managed to get through to the call-operator.

[Hello, what is your emergency?]

“I-I’m in labour” Akihito said, his body tensing up as he felt another contraction coming. He turned his face toward his arm, biting down on his flesh to muffle his soft grunts as his muscles instinctively beared down in time with the contraction, relieving the pain slightly as his groan turned into a hissed curse.

_That’s it. Keep pushing. You’re doing good. Hold on._

[Sir, are you still there? What is your name and location?]

Akihito panted when the contraction had passed, his body relaxing from the pushing and allowing him to answer, though his voice was rather breathless. From the corner of his eye he could see Sayuri try to rub his back without success. But he was already grateful enough that he wasn’t alone and that there was someone with him who knew what to do. It calmed him down enough to reply the call-operator who told him they were instantly sending an ambulance when Akihito informed them he was already pushing.

[Has your water broken already, Tabaka-kun?]

“Y-yeah, I think so. I went to the toilet a couple hours ago, about two, I think. I thought it was just my bowels cleaning for my heat or something” Akihito answered as he leaned his forehead onto his arm, still attempting to catch his breath.

[Is this your first child?]

“I didn’t even know I was pregnant! I’m sixteen, for fuck’s sake!” Akihito snapped, though he knew that the call-operator couldn’t have known and couldn’t do anything about it. However, Akihito was quickly approaching another peak in his contraction, shaking his head with his eyes closed so he didn’t have to see how blurry his vision was with the tears streaming freely down his cheeks, mostly from shock.

“I can’t do this! It fucking hurts! I can’t!” he mumbled, hating how weak he sounded, but hating the pain and confusion even more.

_Nonsense! You can do this. You have to do this. You can’t exactly stop in the middle of labour. Just breath with me. You’ll get through this. You’re doing great._

[The ambulance is on its way. It’ll be there soon. Just hang on and breath. You can do this]

Both voices were drowned out in Akihito’s mind by the searing pain of feeling something large inside of him move lower and lower, his grunts threatening to grow louder unless he muffled them by biting his arm until he tasted blood. Akihito was in a state of shock, barely keeping it together as his body literally pushed through child-labour, bringing a child into this world he hadn’t even known he had been carrying. But currently, the only thing he could think of was the pain his body was going through and the fear of the child being anything but healthy because of his carelessness.

_That’s it! Keep going! Keep going! Keep going! You’re doing great, Akihito-kun! So great! I can see the head coming! A little more, come on! You can do it!_

With a last curse, Akihito felt a strange sense of, not relief, but something akin to that. It was painful, yet he felt like he could breathe slightly better. But even that turned into fear and panic when he registered the words Sayuri had said. The head. What if it fell? Wouldn’t it crack his skull?

_Hold your hand between your legs and try to hold the head. You need to catch them._

Akihito swallowed thickly as he reached between his legs, pulling his hand back startled as he could feel a wet ball that shouldn’t have been there, but was. However, the fear of the baby remaining stuck was bigger than his shock, allowing him to put himself over it and to carefully cradle the head like instructed. What kind of thing he was doing, delivering his baby in a public toilet with the help of a dead mid-wife and the ambulance-sirens in the background who had made it there before his family had.

Still, Akihito couldn’t focus on it as he felt another contraction, quickly informing Sayuri as he dropped his phone to reach both hands between his legs. With a last push, Akihito’s body sagged backwards onto his heels, bringing his now full hands forward. He stared down at the bloody mess in his arms, staining his pale skin. There was something wrong. Something terribly wrong.

“He isn’t crying” Akihito said as he looked over his shoulder at Sayuri, who uselessly moved aside for the ambulance nurses who would have walked right through her anyway.

“Please hand him over” the nurse said and instinctively, Akihito cradled the lithe body closer to his chest, his eyes wide and fearful at the foreign hands stretched out to him. His baby wasn’t crying and this man he didn’t know was trying to take him away. The blonde’s attention was drawn back down to the newborn in his arms at a wet gasp that was quickly followed by a soft cry and some cramped, awkward movement of his little limbs. The relief that washed over Akihito nearly made him faint, the tears starting all over again without his cheeks having a chance to dry.

“Takaba-kun, we need to check him and you” the nurse urged and this time, Akihito did allow the man to take his child, his arms shaking and his eyes locked onto the newborn. All throughout the initial check-ups, Akihito was unable to focus on anything other than the child crying, barely even looking away when he was hoisted onto a stretcher. His arms awkwardly but eagerly reached out when his child was handed back to him for now, his eyes finally shifting to the two lost souls watching his departure.

_Please be healthy, Akihito-kun._

_Come visit us again!_

Akihito mouthed a heartful thank you at the two souls, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to do anything without Sayuri, and receiving a smile in return before the doors of the ambulance car closed. He brought his attention back to the newborn in his arms studying its half-cleaned features as it was waddled in a blanket to keep warm. As his mind struggled to catch up to the events that had just happened, a smile slipped onto his face without him even realizing as he listened to the nurse telling him what he had been able to find out about his son’s condition and following his advice to try and feed the newborn.


	2. Prologue ; part 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the Takaba family :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope you enjoy!

This would probably be the first and the last time Akihito would ever feel relaxed in a hospital bed. Upon entering the hospital through the emergency, both he and his son had gotten emergency treatment. And though Akihito had immediately gotten a room, his son was still at NICU. So at this point, relaxed wasn’t exactly a good word, since Akihito was still worried about his son. However, at least now they were at the hospital. If something was wrong, there were enough doctors nearby to help. Though he was exhausted, he wasn’t going to sleep before he found out if his child was healthy.

Was this what they called imprinting? Or was love at first sight a better word to describe his feelings towards his son? Akihito wasn’t sure what it was, since he was still in shock and recovering. But he knew that he didn’t want to part with the light weight that had been in his arms before, that were now scrubbed clean. If it hadn’t been for the cramps that still continued, though much, much, much lighter, the teen might have thought that it had been a dream.

“Akihito?” the blonde heard his father ask even before his head peeked inside the room, his face pale and eyes wide with worry. His shoulders instantly sagged in relief when he saw his son lying down on the bed but awake and looking back at him.

“Otou-san” Akihito said, his voice slightly raspy from the lack of fluid that had passed through his throat. Takaba Yoshio walked forward, followed by the eldest Takaba, who looked just as worried as his son. Akihito barely resembled his male family members, at least the ones who were alive. The teen was the spitting image of one of his ancestors from way back in the Edo period, whose features had been more towards the androgynous side of the facial structure spectrum, unlike the strong masculine features of both his father and grandfather. He also didn’t possess anything of the soft features of his mother, nor the bubbly features of his grandmother. The only reason Akihito knew he was his ancestors doubleganger was because the man tended to hang around during Obon.

Still, it was very rare to see the sharp manly features be paled with worry. Akihito instantly felt bad for worrying them, yet he was afraid of what he as supposed to say to them. He hadn’t known he was pregnant and now he was supposed to announce the fact that his grandfather had a great-grandson and that his father had become a grandfather? During his delivery, that had been the last thing on his mind. But now, with the two people in front of him, it was impossible not to think about, worrying equally as much about the condition of his son as he did about the reaction of his family.

“We called your mother as soon as we heard that you were brought to the hospital. They’re on their way. How are you feeling? What happened?” Yoshio asked, his black short hair lying flat against his head, still damp from the shower he had most likely taken before starting the game of shogi he had been playing with the eldest Takaba standing behind him.

“I’m fine now. The doctor looked me over and I’m not in any danger, though they want to keep me in observation for tonight. I might be allowed to leave in the morning when there are no complications” Akihito said as he moved to push himself up into a sitting position.

“Stay down” Hidenori instantly said as Yoshio took a more hands-on approach and put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. Akihito gave a soft sigh as he laid back down, reaching towards the side of the bed to raise the headrest a little more until he was in a somewhat slouched position. At least this way he could see his grandfather better, giving him a tired yet cheeky smile.

“Sorry, Ojii-sama, I think I see a new patch of grey hair” he said and the man scoffed at the jab towards what he called his charm-points, meaning the two stripes of greying hair on each side of his temples, the rest of his hair still remaining its pitch-black colour.

“So, you going to tell us what was wrong or do we have to guess?” he asked and Akihito was tempted to just let them guess. If he hadn’t figured it out until he was in labour, they wouldn’t figure it out until they were handed the proof. However, for that, Akihito had too much respect for his grandfather. So he reached up and scratched the back of his neck nervously as he averted his eyes while trying to find the best way to break the news.

“I, uhm,… You have become a great-grandfather of the youngest member of the Takaba family” he said and glanced up into two blank stares. Seconds ticked by before Akihito received a reaction, though it wasn’t entirely intelligent.

“Huh?” Hidenori breathed as Yoshio sank through his knees, fainting as two pairs of eyes watched him go down under the shock of the news in the most literal way. Akihito frowned at his father, wondering if he should press the call-button or let him wake up on his own. Hidenori looked back up, clearly going with the second option in order to get more answers.

“Huuh?!” he exclaimed again as Akihito went with option one and reached out for the call-button resting on the bed next to him.

“I gave birth just a little while ago when I didn’t even know I was pregnant, let alone how long. So I currently know nothing more than the fact that it’s a boy. I’m still waiting for the nurses to come and tell me what’s happening with my child” he explained and Hidenori blinked.

“You gave birth? In that public toilet? Alone?” he asked, clearly just as shocked as Akihito was when Sayuri told him he was in labour.

“I wasn’t alone” Akihito said, giving his grandfather a pointed look the man would usually understand. However, at this current moment, Akihito could only hope at least something would register in the older man’s mind. Akihito was never alone, Hidenori knew this like no other, though he wasn’t able to see them. He knew from experience with living with his father, who had had the same gift as Akihito. Though Hidenori had already said that it seemed stronger in the blonde.

“Oh dear” the nurse said as she entered the room, her eyes immediately falling on the passed out form of Yoshio.

“He fainted” Akihito said and Hidenori brushed it off.

“I want to see my great-grandson” he said as the nurse crouched next to Akihito’s father to wake him up.

“About your son, I have news about him” she informed and Hidenori looked as eager as he looked weary. Clearly, he had the same thoughts as Akihito had had when he first accepted that he was giving birth. If he hadn’t known, how far along had he been? In his arms, the child hadn’t seemed to be undeveloped, but then again, what did Akihito know?

“Could you take care of my dad first? If I have to tell him, he’ll probably faint again. I’m not good at bringing sensitive news” Akihito said and the nurse nodded. As if she would have left a fainted man alone when she was working. It didn’t take long before Yoshio was back to the land of the living, being seated on a chair and given a quick check-up and some water.

“Don’t mind me. Tell me what happened to my son? What does he mean, Otou-san is a great-grandfather? Is he pregnant?” he asked, still looking a bit weak and pale, but inquiring information. The nurse smiled at him before turning to address all the males in the room.

“Your son was born at full term, 39 weeks and two days, to be exact. He has been checked up and is in perfect health. He weighs 6 lbs 4oz and is 19 inches long. Because of the nature of your delivery, we will be keeping him in NICU in observation for a couple hours, at the very least. But you can go see him if you feel up for it” the nurse said and Akihito’s reaction was instantly as he all but threw the covers off his legs, turning to stand.

“Calm down, kid” Hidenori said as his hand shot out to grab the blonde’s arm, steadying him when he swayed.

“Do you want me to bring a wheelchair?” the nurse asked and Akihito waved it off, not wanting to be pushed around in such a thing. Besides, he was standing on his feet. If he could do that, he could walk. Though he was grateful for the support his father and grandfather offered as he slowly but surely made his way to the NICU, washing his hands before he entered. He was sore, yet it wasn’t as much painful as it was annoying. The soreness disappeared to the back of his mind as he was presented with his son laying in a see-through hospital crib.

At the sight, Yoshio threatened to go back down as he swayed, but stayed upright on pure strength of will as Akihito moved to the crib, putting his hands on the edge as he looked at the now clean features of his son, the blood cleaned away. The boy’s eyes were closed and his breathing was calm, asleep. There was feathery light blonde hair on top of his head that would no doubt grow darker as he got older. He looked so small and so delicate, the blonde was scared to touch him. Scared he would crack upon contact, no matter how feather light. Still, he wanted nothing more than to hold his son. Akihito averted his eyes to look at the nurse.

“Can I?” he asked, not needing to ask the full question for her to understand him and nod with a smile. Akihito turned his attention back to the newborn, reaching out carefully.

“Slide one hand under his head and neck to support it. Your other hand goes under his hips and bottom. Keep your fingers spread for more support” the nurse said gently and Akihito followed her instructions as he moved the newborn into the crook of his arm carefully before walking over to the chair close by. The newborn made a few noises, his tiny eyes blinking open as his fingers clenched into small fists. His eyes, incredible pools of blue, looked up at the blonde, unknowingly causing the lump in Akihito’s throat.

“You want to try feeding him?” the nurse asked and Akihito looked up.

“Can I?” he repeated his earlier question, though with a different intonation.

“Of course you can. You’ve done so in the ambulance, haven’t you?” she asked and Akihito nodded as he looked back down at his son, feeling ashamed of the words that were about to leave his mouth.

“Yeah, but I didn’t even know I was pregnant. I don’t know what to do, how often to feed him, how much to feed him, how to hold him. I don’t want to do anything wrong” he admitted and the nurse looked sympathetic as his grandfather frowned and his dad looked disappointed. But they remained silent so the nurse could explain what Akihito needed to do and needed to know. Never before in his life had Akihito paid more attention to a lecture than he had at that moment, loosening the front of his kimono styled hospital gown to follow the nurse’s instructions.

“I’ll go wait for your mother” Yoshio said, his voice tight as he turned away. Hidenori send a glance at him before turning his attention back to his grandson.

“Did you think of a name already?” he asked and Akihito looked up before glancing back down, not wanting to move his attention away from his son for longer than a split second.

“Yurihiko” he said, having decided on the name in the ambulance without a doubt entering his mind. It might be weird for him to use part of the name of the lost soul who had been with him during the delivery. But without her, Akihito highly doubted he would have been able to deliver the newborn the way he had. He would have probably done it above the toilet and he would have been in too much of a shock to call the emergency call-centre.

“It’s a beautiful name” the nurse said with a smile as Hidenori huffed.

“It’s a bit feminine, don’t you think? I was thinking more among the lines of Osamu, or Hayato, or Ichirou, or Takara” the eldest Takaba said and Akihito scoffed to send his grandfather a wry amused look.

“Yeah, because we really want this kid to go through life with the name Takaba Takara” the blonde said, his shoulders relaxing at the absence of his father’s disappointed look. While Hayato did have a nice ring to it, Akihito wasn’t swaying.

“Yurihiko” he repeated and Hidenori gave up with a smile, though his attempt to change the blonde’s mind had been half-hearted at best, only to get a cheeky response out of his grandson to know he was really doing okay. God knew the worst was yet to come and it was in the form of the blonde’s mother. Not even Hidenori could predict the extent of his daughter-in-law’s reaction.

“We’ll have to go buy some clothes and diapers. Lots of them” Hidenori said and Akihito nodded.

“I got money saved up which I was going to use for my trip around the world after I graduated. I’ll use that” he said, feeling weird about using the money had had spent hours and hours of work on for his dream, but as sudden as he was a mother, he had no issues with putting his child before his dream. He had already failed the newborn enough by not knowing he had been carrying him and not taking better care of him.

“We still have things your parents used for you, we can re-use those too” Hidenori said and Akihito looked up before nodding.

“Kid, you going to let me hold him or what?” the Takaba patriarch finally asked, at the end of his patience as his excitement showed on the surface. Akihito nodded as he carefully moved his arms so the oldest Takaba could take over the youngest. He could see in the man’s brown eyes that the newborn had instantly won him over, a sparkle making his eyes shine as he smiled while looking for Akihito’s features in the child’s face, finding them in the shape of the eyes and the nose.

“Well, would you look at this little thing. My beer-belly is even bigger than this” he said fondly and Akihito looked over at the nurse that had remained with them.

“Is that bad? That he’s so small?” he asked and the nurse shook her head.

“Not at all. Some people just carry small babies” she said and Akihito looked back at his son, worry rising its head again. Would he really be able to provide for his son? Would he really be able to raise him like he deserved to be raised? What about his gift? Would that be passed on too? Akihito didn’t want his son to grow up seeing the traumatizing things he had. Ghosts could not control their appearance, which showed exactly how they died. Akihito knew more about how samurai died than he wanted. While it did help with his history grades, it was hardly a sane way for a child to grow up.

Akihito didn’t want to be a bad parent. He hadn’t wanted to be a parent at all. He was only sixteen, for god’s sake. He had dreams and he had things he wanted to achieve. He loved kids, yes, but that didn’t mean he felt ready to have one of his own. He felt anything but ready. Yet his grandfather cooing at the newborn in his arms was proof that Akihito had no other choice. But honestly, when is a person ready to be a parent? What does it even mean to be a good parent?

“- Are we here? I want to see my son, not babies” a familiar voice came, instantly tensing the blonde up more than his father had. His eyes were locked on the door-opening of the room he was in, watching as Yoshio entered first. A petite ash-brunette followed right after, an elderly lady trailing behind. Judging by the look on his grandmother’s face, Akihito could tell Sachiko had already put two and two together even before his mother had. But even that clicked once she saw Akihito sitting in the chair and Hidenori holding a bundled-up newborn.

Yoshio refused to meet Akihito or Hidenori’s eyes looking pointedly the other way as Sachiko made her way up to her husband with a kind smile, her light brown kimono rustling as she walked. Takaba Hanako on the other hand, was standing frozen in the middle of the room, her eyes shooting back and forward between the newborn making soft sounds and the fearful blonde who was wringing his hands in his lap.

“Akihito. What is going on here?” she asked and Akihito glanced at his grandfather, not for help but for moral support.

“I uhm… I went into labour when I called. Well, when I think back, I was probably in labour since yesterday” Akihito said and dug his nails into to palm of his hand.

“You went into labour? How long did you know you were pregnant?” Hanako asked as Sachiko was playing with the newborn’s little hand while Hidenori kept a careful eye on both his grandson and his daughter-in-law.

“I didn’t” Akihito said and Hanako barked a laugh.

“You didn’t?! How can you not know you were pregnant?!” she asked, raising her voice. Akihito flinched back as the nurse frowned. Sachiko send Hanako a displeased look for raising her voice in the NICU wing as she took over the newborn without listening to Hidenori’s complaints.

“It is possible, miss. If the baby is carried in a certain way inside the body, it will not show like others. The kicks could have been felt so soft that it could be chalked up to indigestion or stress” the nurse explained and Hanako glared at her.

“What about a missed heat?!” she demanded and Akihito finally spoke up.

“Okaa-san, you know my heats are incredibly irregular in both timing and intensity. I was leaking slick at the moments a heat could come, so I thought I was just having a very mild heat” the blonde said and the nurse nodded.

“That is completely possible because of your hormone levels. This is typical of a male omega pregnancy. Because they also produce slick when they are aroused and having a higher libido is one of the possible symptoms of a pregnancy, it can appear as if it is a heat. Especially if you mention that they vary from timing and intensity” she said and Hanako shook her head.

“What about all the other symptoms? How could he have missed those?” she asked, not willing to give up yet.

“I’m always hungry and I’ve always been a big eater without putting on pounds. I thought I was tired because of work since I had been doing over-time lately because Sawano quit. I don’t know why I wasn’t nauseous and who thinks about how often he goes to the toilet? I go when I have to go, I’m not going to think like ‘I just went to take a leak an hour ago and I have to go again after emptying a small bottle of water? Hmm, maybe I’m pregnant?’” Akihito said sarcastic and his head clipped to the side when a sharp slap resounded, the impact stinging his cheek. All eyes in the room were directed at Hanako and Akihito, the only sound filling the silence being the heart-monitors of the newborns in need of intensive care.

“Don’t you dare get sarcastic with me, young man. Who did you spread your legs for?” she asked and Akihito felt as if he was being stabbed in the stomach. While there was no way possible for him to deny the fact that he had had intercourse with another man on top of some women, she could have put it in a different way. One that didn’t make it sound as if he was a whore.

“Who?” she repeated a bit more forceful and the nurse was about to step in together with Sachiko and Hidenori when Akihito answered.

“It was a one-night-stand” he admitted softly and looked up.

“Okaa-san, can we take this somewhere else? Where there are no sensitive babies?” Akihito asked and his mother merely scoffed.

“I don’t need to take this anywhere else. A child spreading his legs like the first best whore is no son of mine and I don’t need to waste my breath on him” she said and Akihito’s chest clenched uncomfortably.

“Hanako” Yoshio said sharply but flinched back under the glare he received from his wife.

“I put up with his delinquency and with the fact that he’s always gone and comes home late. I’m not putting up with this. I didn’t give birth to him to have my son turn into a sixteen-year old whore with a kid” she said and turned her attention to the blonde.

“I will pack up your stuff and you can come pick it up by tomorrow evening. I don’t care how you do it and where you go, as long as it’s gone. You can end up in a ditch for all I care” she said and Sachiko regarded the brunette with a look that was clearly looking down on the younger woman.

“Hidenori and I will take Akihito and his son in. We will come to pick up his belongings in the morning, so please have them ready. With that, consider yourself unwelcome at our home” she said and Hanako bristled as she inhaled deeply, trying not to lash out at the older woman. Without a last word, she turned around and walked out of the NICU with brisk steps, calling out to her husband to follow him. Yoshio looked at his grandparents before looking at his son.

After a sigh, he approached the blonde, putting his hand in the back of Akihito’s head before leaning down to press his lips against his son’s forehead. As he pulled back, he used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that streamed silently from already stained cheeks. Light hazel connected with bright brown, genuine worry radiating from the older man’s gaze.

“I love you, Akihito” he said emotionally, speaking the words Akihito needed to hear most.

“I’ll go try to calm your mother down and try to change her mind” he said but they both know it would take years before that happened. Hanako was just as stubborn as the Takaba family she married into. Akihito took a deep shaky breath, raising his hand to wipe away the tears that were still falling from his eyes. He didn’t want to be crying in the presence of his son.

“Well, that could have gone worse” Akihito said and gave a small, hurt smile.

“It could have gone better too, but it is what it is” he said and Sachiko huffed as she turned back to her great-grandson in her arms.

“I didn’t like her anyway” she admitted and Hidenori wasn’t making any move to say the opposite.

“Pot calling the kettle black, if you ask me. She was pregnant at eighteen with stern parents. The kind that doesn’t approve sex before marriage. When she found out she was pregnant, Yoshio took responsibility by marrying her. She has no foot to stand on and kick you out” he added and Akihito looked down.

“She was eighteen and Otou-san married her. I’m sixteen and I’m not even sure of the father’s name” he said and lowered his head.

“I’m causing everyone trouble and the kid has only been born for a little over two hours” he said and Sachiko smiled at him.

“Children are supposed to trouble their parents. Though this was unexpected, it happened and you are clearly willing to take responsibility for him. Kicking you out on the street will only make it a bigger problem and will discourage you” she said and Hidenori snorted.

“Besides, the little kid seems practically bomb-proof if he slept through that drama. I don’t think he’ll cause that much trouble” he said and Akihito looked up.

“But what if I can’t do it? What if I’m a bad parent?” he asked worried and Sachiko looked at him.

“You’re not doing this alone, Aki-boy. You’ll be living with us and we’ll be with you and help you whenever you or the little one needs us” she said and Hidenori huffed.

“Of course, you won’t be living there for free. I need help with keeping the shrine in order, after-all” he said and Akihito looked up, feeling slightly better at the mention that he would be paying rent, even if it was physical labour. He had been booted out of his house and his grandparents didn’t need to take him and his son in. But he was grateful they did. Besides, he never minded helping out in the shrine. He hadn’t been working there every festival or event against his will.

“Ara, looks like he has enough of looking at your wrinkled face” Hidenori said as the first whimpers left the newborn, its arms and legs stretching and folding awkwardly as he started crying.

“So rude” Sachiko huffed as she moved to where Akihito was sitting to hand him back his son who was somewhat lost with trying to calm the newborn by rocking him against his shoulder and stroking his small back until he stopped crying. Honestly, at this point, he was doing everything on instincts.

“Will everything be okay here?” the nurse asked as Akihito was ready to leave after his 48-hour observation stay. The young parent looked up over his shoulder, closing the snap buttons of the white onesie he had dressed the newborn in with the nurse next to him on his request, in case he did something wrong.

“Ah, yes, Ojii-sama is borrowing his neighbour’s car and he should be here soon” Akihito said as he picked the navy-blue legging with teal coloured cuffs and white reindeer-print. He turned his attention back to the newborn resting on the bed in front of him, making rather wild arm-movements and little happy noises with a smile. Akihito couldn’t help but return the smile as he carefully picked up one of the active legs. The clothes fell a little big on the child’s tiny frame, but at least the hat and socks fitted correctly.

“I must say, I’m going to miss him. It’s rare to find a baby laughing every time he wakes up” the nurse said and Akihito’s smile turned slightly uneasy. And here he was trying to ignore the old man making funny faces over his shoulder at his son. Akihito wasn’t entirely sure if it was a sign that the little boy had inherited his gift or if all babies were just sensitive to lost souls wandering around.

“Sadly, I’m here to pick them up and take them away” Hidenori spoke up behind them in the door-opening. Akihito looked up, giving his grandfather a thankful smile. As much as the hospital had helped him, he couldn’t wait to get away. The high amount of spirits roaming the building gave him an almost constant headache and lower body temperature.

“I’ll be done soon” Akihito said as he grabbed the light blue/purple crocheted baby blanket to wrap his son in. It was the same blanket that had been used for him when he had been an infant, which left him to use another to throw around his shoulders and drape down the crook of his elbow. He was serious when he said that a high amount of spirits affected his body temperature the same way their presence affected the temperature in a room. It was just one of the drawbacks attached to his ability to see spirits. That, headaches, constant low buzzing in his ear whenever one came too close, a pressure on his chest which made it harder to breath, depending on the amount of the spirits around him. It was strange, but it was just the way he had grown up and what he was used to.

Still, he was glad to leave it behind, finally walking out of the hospital with his son in his arms, having said goodbye to all the nurses and doctors the little newborn had charmed. The nurses had all given him books about child-rearing, even going as far as to write down personal tips until they had assembled what could be called an encyclopedia that would help him not only for the first few weeks, but probably the rest of the little boy’s life. Not to be rude, but Akihito hoped it would be a long time before he would be back at the hospital. Though he did go back to the public toilet he had given birth in to help Izumi and Sayuri to pass on, asking if the ghost mid-wife was okay with him using her name as inspiration for his son’s. Something that had brought her to tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Alstroemeria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alstroemeria ;; Devotion. Withstanding the trials of everyday life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope you enjoy reading!

“What a stunning kimono” Akihito said as he held the red fabric in hand, studying the sakura print decorating it. The kimono was displayed on a mannequin in the back-room of the kimono store where the owner of the store was making some final adjustments to the kimono Akihito had brought in. A dark green sash was holding the kimono closed, decorated with thin-stitched golden waves, looking as if every stitch had been made by hand.

“It is, isn’t it? I spend quite some time on it” the shop owner said and Akihito gave a hum.

“I can see that. The craftmanship of this thing is extra-ordinary. The best I can do is stitch a rip, and only because my son keeps destroying everything he wears” the blonde said, his voice growing fond as he mentioned his son.

“You have a child, sir?” the shop-owner asked and Akihito released the fabric to turn around to face her with a wide smile. Everything about the shop-owner screamed traditional. While she was young, not much older than Akihito himself, she wore a pale beige kimono. Her black hair was done up in a traditional bun, held in place with a blue kanzashi-pin. But then again, Akihito was in no position to judge her for dressing old-school in a modern time.

He himself wore a typical shrine priest uniform. A white keikogi clad his chest, bottomed by a blue-grey hakama. His feet were covered by white tabi socks before they were slid into zori sandals. If they were talking traditional, there was nothing more traditional than a shrine priest like Akihito. The elaborate kimono the shop-owner was currently repairing, was the one Akihito had used during last year’s Kagura at the shrine.

“I have a son of six. He’s in his first year of elementary school and he’s already a handful” Akihito said with a sigh, though it was fond. He never really minded talking about his son, though like he himself in his childhood, Yurihiko was a troublemaker. Calling him a handful was an understatement, and that was leaving out the fact that he had the same gift as his mother, able to see those who no longer had a mortal body.

“What’s his name?” she asked as she smiled up at him the scissors in her hand as she cut the end of the knotted thread, finishing the repairs on the cloth.

“Yurihiko. He likes the nickname Hiko because he says that it attracts girls. Makes them feel like they’re his princesses” he said with a roll of his eyes as the shop-owner was unable to prevent herself from chuckling.

“I’ll give you a little warning, if you ever think about getting kids, don’t let them spend too much time around sassy grandfathers. They’re like sponges” he said and she smiled at him.

“If he looks anything like you, I’m sure he will be breaking many hearts in the future” she said as she started folding up the kimono.

“Have you ever thought of getting kids?” Akihito asked and her smile turned sombre

“I have and I would very much like children. But my husband and I are having a bit of a dip. Maybe a child would cure it, who knows” she said, forcing herself to regain her smile as she put the elaborate cloth inside a box. They took care of the transaction before Akihito stepped out of the store with a smile and a friendly wave. Looking on his watch, he noticed that he was cutting it close, pushing off into a jog all the way to the elementary school his son was attending.

As he arrived, he was relieved to see that the students had yet to leave their classrooms, meaning he had still made it on time. Maybe even faster than he had expected. Holding the flat square box on top of his shoulder, he smiled in greeting at the mothers waiting next to him for the bell to ring and to release their children from the prison called school.

It wasn’t hard for Akihito to recognize his son. The mop of messy dirty blonde hair swaying in the wind as the first student literally raced out of the building as if the devil himself was chasing him. Akihito moved the box, holding it away from his body as he braced himself for his son slamming into him in his haste to get away from the building that dared to lock him away from the outside for seven hours a day. Akihito chuckled as he wrapped his arm around his son’s waist, feeling the grip around his neck attempting to suffocated him as punishment for ever putting him through the torture that was school.

Yes, Yurihiko really was his offspring.

“Hey there, little monkey” Akihito greeted with a laugh in his voice as he felt his son’s legs wrapped around his hips. He pulled back from the hug to place a kiss on the six-year old’s forehead before looking at him, seeing an excited gleam in the almost golden eyes.

“How was school?” he asked and the gleam remained even when Yurihiko drew his face down into a blank mask.

“Brain melting” he said and Akihito’s lips twitched as he turned towards home. His eyebrow rose and his son looked affronted.

“You don’t believe me? The best thing that has happened today was Kirihara-sensei when he was trying to explain how the moon revolved around the earth. He asked if any of us knew what it was called and the lost his dentures during a rant because I answered egoistic” he said and Akihito couldn’t stop the laugh that fell from his lips.

“What? Granny always complains that people should stop being egoistic and that the world doesn’t revolve around them. So if the moon revolves around the earth, then the earth is egoistic, no?” he pointed out and Akihito couldn’t deny what he said.

“I can’t fault your logic there, little one. But go easy on Kirihara-sensei. He’s already old and we don’t want him to come haunting us about the orbit of the moon of all things” he said good-humoured and Yurihiko looked in front of him, his expression suddenly curious.

“Mom?” he started and Akihito gave a hum, waiting for the younger blonde to ask his actual question.

“Is it possible for souls to feel different?” he asked and Akihito looked in front of him as well. While he wasn’t exactly happy with the fact that his son had inherited his gift, there was nothing he could do to take it away. Instead, he was open about it, but careful. He answered whatever questions the young boy had while never forgetting to caution him to make sure to keep it a secret. Besides, there was no way to shield the young boy from what he saw, so Akihito figured it would be better to pass on the knowledge he would have liked to have gotten growing up with a gift no-one else could understand.

“You mean good and bad?” Akihito asked and Yurihiko shook his head, his brows furrowing as he tried to find a way to express himself and his question.

“No, I know that there is no good and bad when it comes to souls. There are lost souls and there are enti-whatever” he started and Akihito smiled at his stumbled.

“Entities” he said and Yurihiko gave a curt nod.

“That. But I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about the souls. Usually they feel lost and sad or confused. But a while ago, I made a friend who feels different. He doesn’t feel as not-there” he said and Akihito hummed in thought.

“You mean that his presence is stronger, but not in a bad way?” he guessed and received a nod.

“Yeah. He’s nice. He isn’t wandering around and just pops up once in a while. He can even change the way he looks and he played a prank on Nagano-sensei the other day” he said and Akihito raised an eyebrow.

“Did he now? Was that why you had a bad comment in your diary because you were laughing during class?” he asked, trying not to sound amused. God knew how often he had had that same issue.

“Don’t blame him!” Yurihiko said and Akihito shook his head.

“I don’t. But what do you feel when you’re around him? Do you feel lost or sad? Do you get that heavy feeling in your feet?” he asked, always worried about the spirits that hung around his son. It was rather easy for unsavoury types to trick children who were easy manipulated. He wasn’t saying Yurihiko was, but those with malicious intent could never be trusted. Akihito had learned this the hard way and knew his son would too. He just hoped he could postpone it a little longer.

“Not at all. He is nice and he doesn’t feel tied down. He’s familiar. Like Jiijii and Baba, but then dead” he said and Akihito gave a hum.

“Maybe it’s a guardian angel” he said and Yurihiko tilted his head, feeling the word roll off his tongue carefully as he tested it.

“Yeah, ‘guardian angels’ is what most people would call them, but they’re no angels. They’re souls who are no longer lost, in a way” he said and looked at his son.

“You remember what I said that when souls are bound to earth by something that keeps them here? The heavy feeling in your feet as if they’re stuck to the earth?” he asked and the young blonde nodded, his attention fully on his mother.

“Guardian angels are no longer bound to the earth. They aren’t forced to remain here any longer, but they choose to. They saw the bridge, but they decided to stay and protect someone dear to them, to watch over from closer by” Akihito explained as best as he could, hoping the little monkey on his hip would understand.

“So, they saw the bridge but didn’t cross it? They didn’t find peace?” Yurihiko asked and Akihito smiled at him.

“It’s quite the opposite. It means that they found more peace staying here, at the side of their family and the people who need someone to watch over them” he said and Yurihiko frowned.

“Why?” he asked and Akihito shrugged lightly.

“A good question, indeed. They can choose to stay for many reasons. Maybe because the person they want to protect is sensitive to that side? That they’re a magnet for malicious entities. Maybe because they are depressed and need to feel the presence of someone close to them, even if they are death, to know that they will never be alone? A hand on the shoulder, so to speak” he said and Yurihiko frowned.

“But normal souls do that as well, right? What makes them so different?” he asked and Akihito didn’t really have an answer for that either. He had only met a hand-full of those kind of spirits.

“Who knows? Souls that haven’t crossed over yet, is mostly because they are tied here, because they can’t find peace for one reason or the other. Those guardian angels on the other hand, they have seen the bridge but didn’t need to cross it to feel at peace. They preferred to remain where they are needed most” he said and Yurihiko hummed.

“I think I get it, but at the same time I don’t” he said bluntly and Akihito chuckled.

“It’s not that complicated to understand, but it’s a lot harder to explain with words. Why don’t you ask your friend next time? Maybe introduce me. I’d like to know how it works as well” he said and Yurihiko gave a hum with a nod before turning his attention to the box balancing on his mother’s hand.

“What’s that?” he asked curiously and Akihito glanced at the appointed box.

“My kimono from last year’s Kagura. Had to get some repairs done to it” he said and Yurihiko frowned.

“I don’t have a good feeling about it” he admitted and Akihito smiled grimly. The smaller blonde really was his spawn, observant about things that tickled their need for adrenaline. It was still innocent in Yurihiko, but recognizable none the less. Akihito had hoped that that was the only trait his son wouldn’t have inherited from him, but no such luck. The older blonde wondered how long it would remain curiosity about things that were scary and could be potentially dangerous.

It took a little while before the steps towards the shrine came in view and Akihito put his son down so he could make the climb on his own. Of course, when Yurihiko challenged him to a race to the top, Akihito wasn’t passing up. Though he wasn’t heartless and allowed his son to win. It was something they did almost every day, and once in a while, Akihito would win. Just to make sure his son wouldn’t become a sore loser.

“Put your shoes correct” Akihito said as he saw Yurihiko kick off his sneakers at the entrance-hall of the residential building behind the shrine, where they lived. As always, the scent of freshly baked sweets welcomed them, demanding all of Yurihiko’s attention.

“Lemon cookies!” the young blonde cried excited as he rushed forward, recognizing the scent as if he was a trained hunting-dog. Akihito’s reaction was instantaneously as his hand shot out, catching the loop of the black backpack strapped to the six-year old’s back. It took a total of three seconds before Yurihiko stopped running to hang limp, sending a dry look over his shoulder at his mother regarding him with a raised eyebrow. His feet dangled a few inches above the ground, his expression spectacularly blank.

“Wash your hands first” Akihito said and Yurihiko rolled with his eyes before slipping out of the straps of his back pack.

“Yes, yes” he sang before running off, his socks slipping on the wooden floor.

“And only one! You still got to eat dinner!” the priest called after his son that was already rushing off after his nose. Akihito shook his head fondly as he stepped out of his sandals before getting inside as well. He stopped at one of the hallways, putting down the box on top of his low table in the middle of the sitting area next to his bedroom. He would continue his investigation on it, after he had enjoyed some of his grandmother’s freshly baked cakes.

“Welcome back, Aki-boy” Sachiko greeted the blonde as he stepped into the kitchen.

“I’m back, Obaa-sama. Where’s Ojii-sama?” Akihito asked as he ruffled his son’s hair while reaching out for a round cookie on the cake-plate in the middle of the table.

“He’s still in the shrine, for now. What would you like for dinner?” Sachiko asked as she straightened up while closing the oven, holding a tray of freshly baked cookies in her hand.

“Omurice!” Yurihiko exclaimed, holding up a half-eaten cookie with a big grin on his face. Akihito rolled his eyes as Sachiko gave him a stern look.

“We ate that yesterday. Choose something different” she said and Yurihiko went straight back to his mental menu with a slight pout that always appeared when he was thinking hard about something. But then again Yurihiko was always thinking hard about food.

“Then, pufferfish, wagyu steak or sushi” he said and Akihito’s lips twitched up into a smile he tried to suppress as his grandmother heaved a sigh. When she noticed Akihito’s amusement, a damp towel was send flying into his face, provoking the laughter he had successfully suppressed until then. Sachiko shook with her head as Akihito reached up to remove the towel from his face. His son was a sly one.

“How about stew?” Akihito asked and his son shuddered with his tongue sticking out of his mouth.

“Blergh! No stew” he said and Akihito hummed in thought.

“Then, curry or hamburger steak?” he suggested and Yurihiko’s eyes lit up.

“Hamburger steak!” he said and Sachiko huffed.

“Now, was that so hard? And hands off the cookies, you little thief!” she said as she slapped the youngest Takaba’s hand away from the tray.

“You’ve already had three” she said with a pointed look and Akihito raised an eyebrow at his son who ducked his head guiltily.

“What did I say about only eating one?” he asked and Yurihiko glanced up.

“Did you say something about that?” he asked and Akihito regarded him.

“Then I guess you didn’t hear me telling you to sweep the courtyard either” he said and Yurihiko straightened up.

“You never said anything about that” he said confused and Akihito gave him a pointed look.

“I did now. Off you go, little monkey. I’ll come check on your work later” he said and the smaller blonde opened and closed his mouth, looking like he was going to say something, but then pouted and hopped off his chair.

“Yes, mom” he said and as he stepped out of the kitchen, the two older Takaba’s could hear him mumble something about how sweeping was still better than having to sit through a kendo training with his grandfather. Everyone living at the shrine was trained in self-defence, in case of need. The fact that Kendo wasn’t exactly self-defence but more of a martial arts, didn’t matter for Hidenori nor for Akihito. However, Akihito’s attention was currently on something else.

“Were the repairs done?” Sachiko asked as she watched her grandson take a cookie of the tray before helping her box them in. Sachiko always made sweets like cakes or cookies for the families that were frequent visitors of the shrine. Some were older and not as mobile as they used to be, while some were single parents with young children or people struggling to make ends meet. It was always a little something to brighten up their day and allow them a chat while Sachiko or Akihito made their rounds to drop the boxes off.

“Yeah. I haven’t checked to see if they were well-done yet, but I have a feeling they are” he said and his grandmother eyes him suspicious as he stood next to her, sticking above her with almost half a head.

“It was a rip you could have fixed yourself” she said and Akihito’s hands paused only shortly before he resumed packing the cookies. But however small his reaction had been, Sachiko had noticed it.

“Is it another investigation?” she asked and Akihito glanced sideways at her, remaining silent.

“Is it that that’s been on the news? The family with half of it missing? First the mother and then the oldest child?” she guessed and the blonde wasn’t sure if he should be honest or not. It wasn’t the first time the police had come to him if they suspected there was something bizarre going on with a case, something supernatural. Akihito was a priest known for working with those types of cases and many people could confirm that he was legit.

The police first hadn’t believed him or the rumours. Who would have, when he had been such a frequent visitor just a few years before? But after solving his first case with an inspector shadowing him, it wasn’t unusual for the inspector to approach him whenever he felt that there was something fishy in a way they couldn’t perceive. That had been a few years back, before Yurihiko had even been one year old and Akihito had moved to Tokyo, his reputation following him, both good and bad. Hidenori had never even raised an eyebrow at it while Sachiko couldn’t stop being worried.

Not entirely ungrounded, considering Akihito’s reckless personality and the fact that he didn’t think twice before putting himself in harm’s way for someone else.

“The youngest child has gone missing as well” Akihito finally said, admitting to what he was doing despite knowing it would cause the frown on his grandmother’s face to increase.

“The youngest?” she asked and Akihito looked back at the cookies, watching himself box them as if his hands were not part of his body.

“She was twelve. The oldest was eighteen. The mother in her thirties. They disappeared, one by one, each with a week and a half to two weeks in between. There was no sign of a struggle, no note and not even the faintest clue of why they left or who took them. Until now, they haven’t even been able to tell whether it was kidnapping or if they just ran away. They’ve started to call it the spirited away family” Akihito said and Sachiko sucked in a breath as she looked at him.

“Don’t do anything dangerous, you hear me, Aki-boy? You have a son to think of, remember? What would Yuri-boy do when you’re not here anymore” she said and Akihito cupped her cheeks with a smile in an attempt to calm her down.

“It will be fine, Obaa-sama. I won’t let anything happen to Yurihiko or myself. I’ve even stopped jumping off rooftops” he said and she swatted at his arm.

“You better!” she huffed, earning a laugh from her grandson. Letting the matter rest with that joke, they returned to boxing the cookies, Akihito not-so-subtly stealing another one for himself. After the boxes were packed, the blonde went outside to check up on his son and help him sweep before sending him in to wash his hands for dinner. It was after dinner, before Yurihiko’s bedtime, that Akihito sat in the living area next to his bedroom, the kimono spread out in front of him with the case-files on top of it, trying to find a clue that could explain it all.

His concentration was disturbed by small feet quickly approaching the room that could only belong to one person. Akihito was quick to scramble the papers together and place them under the kimono before the door slammed open to reveal a slightly winded Yurihiko. His hair was still damp from his bath, messy yet fluffy from the towel that had ruffled it up. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes sparkled in excitement. Maybe he had finally been winning against Hidenori in shogi?

“Mom! You said you wanted to meet my friend, right?! The weird one?” he asked and Akihito gave a soft chuckle as he closed his eyes.

“You shouldn’t call him weird just because he feels different, little monkey” he said, feeling a tingle run down his spine. A clear sign that something had joined them that no longer possessed a human body, but an ethereal one.

“Oh, right! Sorry, old man!” Yurihiko said, confirming the tingle down his mother’s spine.

[‘S okay, kiddo. I’ve been called worse]

Akihito frowned at the voice, a flag raising in his head. He had heard that voice somewhere before, but he only remembered it vaguely. Where and when, though, he had no idea. Maybe if he got a visual, he would be able to place it?

Oh god no.

A choked sound got stuck in his throat as he looked up at the side of the table where he could feel someone sit. Like Yurihiko had said, the spirit was among them out of his own free will, making him what they would call a guardian angel. However, he looked nothing like the description one would give a guardian angel. The face was familiar, with strong jawline and prominent nose. Black hair was smoothed back with strands of grey streaked through it, though it did nothing to his drop dead handsome appearance. If anything, it added to it.

The most striking of his appearance, were the golden eyes. The same eyes he shared with his son, the man who fathered Yurihiko.

[We meet again]

Akihito swallowed thickly as he regarded the guardian angel like a deer caught in the headlights. It wasn’t all that surprising to have a passed away family member appear at the side of one that was still living, even if they had never met before. It was as if they were able to sense the ones who shared their blood, for some reason Akihito couldn’t understand and he doubted even the spirits understood. In the case of lost spirits, it was blood that could bound them to the earth, while with guardian angels, it was blood that anchored them to the one they shared their blood with. Akihito knew there was a difference, but could never find the words to explain it.

“Mom?” Yurihiko called out, shaking the blonde’s shoulder. Akihito blinked, taking a deep breath as he was shaken out of his panic that had cut off his breathing. He turned to his son, feeling his heart attempting to beat out of his chest to run off from this shit situation. What was he supposed to do now?

“What?” Akihito asked as he regarded his son with an expression on his face he was sure didn’t look as calm as he knew he should be. Yurihiko frowned, worried at the tremble in his mother’s hands and voice.

“Are you okay?” Yurihiko asked and Akihito swallowed again, mentally kicking himself for worrying his son. He reached up to ruffle the mop of dirty blonde hair.

“I’m fine, little monkey. Could you go to Ojii-sama for a bit, so I can talk with him?” Akihito asked and Yurihiko nodded, for once not saying anything as he obeyed his mother’s wishes, stepping out of the room with a last confused look over his shoulder. Akihito waited until he could no longer hear his son’s footsteps down the hallway before letting his head fall forward onto the table with a heavy thud and a groan. The guardian angel had the gall to laugh at him.

[My son fathered a kid! Who knew?!]

“Your son didn’t and still doesn’t” Akihito said, his voice muffled by the kimono his face was buried in, prompting another good-hearted laugh from the guardian spirit.

[Why didn’t you tell the fool? By now, you should know who he is, right?]

How could Akihito not, when the man’s face was in magazines and when his name was heard everywhere? The young businessman that owned one of the biggest companies in Tokyo. Not to mention the rumours about him being involved in shady business. It was hard to ignore that when you looked at someone with the same eyes every morning when you woke up and every evening when you went to sleep.

“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hello, we had sex once, remember? Here is your son. Oh and by the way, I was underaged’? Yeah, like that’s going to go down well. He’d sooner put a bullet between my eyes” Akihito said and once again, the guardian angel only found amusement in it.

[So I was right when I guessed you weren’t legal!]

Akihito groaned as he felt a head-ache set in. What in the world was he supposed to do now? Did he tell Yurihiko about the guardian spirit’s identity, or did he keep it a secret? Would this prompt his son to ask the questions about his other parent? Questions he knew Yurihiko harboured but didn’t ask out of fear and unease?

[Oye, kiddo. Just let it go. Don’t think too much about it. What’s the use of finding ways to cross a bridge when you don’t even know what it looks like?]

The blonde turned his head to regard the spirit, seeing a genuine, calm and collected expression on his face instead of the amusement that had been there before. He looked slightly different from the first time Akihito had met the spirit that had silenced him about informing his bed-partner at that time of his presence. It was mainly the lack of blood staining his dress-shirt from his throat that had been slit. Akihito didn’t know how the guardian spirit had done it, but he appreciated the change of appearance in the presence of his son. Not that it would traumatize Yurihiko, who had already seen far worse things.

But if he could prevent his son from seeing too much gore, Akihito would do it. Now, if only he knew how to deal with this. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about this. A feeling that this would become very troublesome in the future. But for now, he would do the only thing on his mind. Groan as he closed his eyes, wishing to wake up in the morning with a hangover that would tell him it had all been the illusion seen at the bottom of one too many cups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Begonia.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Begonia ;; Being cautious about new situations. Warnings about future misfortunes or challenges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope you like it!

As Akihito walked, twigs cracked underneath his feet, his eyes switching between the forest floor and the ethereal form walking before him, leading the way through the trees. Behind him, he could hear several other pairs of footsteps and with just a glance back, he could tell there were at least seventeen people following him. Two homicide investigators, six evidence specialists and the rest were people doused in white suits, the police forensic department. Except one of the inspectors, who was Akihito’s contact person, all of them were looking at his back distrustful, wondering if he was playing with their balls and leading them on a false trail.

[This way]

Akihito turned back to the front, seeing the spirit wait for him to catch up. The blonde felt a stab go through his chest as he followed after her, seeing her long black hair sway in the wind as she led him towards her last resting place. The place he would find her body mangled the same way he was currently seeing. Lost spirits couldn’t adjust their appearance, so Akihito had a good idea of what he would be confronted with. Still, seeing a girl, barely in her teens, with her throat cut, her eyes and mouth sewed shut and her belly stabbed multiple times to the point there were gaping holes, was enough to make Akihito want to turn around and never look at it again.

[We’re here]

“It’s here” Akihito said as he stopped at a small clearing in the forest where the trees were growing further from each other. The forest floor was damp from the rainfall of the previous night, the wetness soaking through his shoes, as if to mock him for wearing sneakers instead of the hiking shoes he knew he should have worn.

“Can you point out an exact location?” inspector Oogushi asked and Akihito walked up to where the girl stood, pointing at a certain spot in front of her.

“Here” Akihito relayed and the police officers moved forward to secure the area, giving the blonde a weary look as he moved to stand beside the inspectors. Oogushi offered him a cigarette that Akihito politely refused, watching with a frown as the specialists and the forensic team started digging. He felt a chill run up his arm, followed by a path of goosebumps and a low tone in his ear. Despite that he knew that she wouldn’t be able to feel it, he tightened his grip on the hand she had slid into his, her eyes trained on the pit that was steadily going deeper and deeper until a hand flew up.

“Found it! We’ve found a body!” the forensic officer announced and instantly shot of look at Akihito, whose expression remained blank under the attention as it was shifted to him before they once again focussed on digging up the bodies. A few of the police officers turned green in the face and had to go excuse themselves to the trees a little further as the bodies were laid bare, each one mangled worse than the one before.

Akihito’s expression remained blank as he regarded the bodies. A mother, stabbed in the back once before dying from another twenty-three stab-wounds in the abdomen. The oldest daughter, stabbed in the neck, left to bleed dry while her face was carved with countless cuts of what seemed to come from a blade. Then the third and final body followed, of a young girl with the same wounds as the one holding Akihito’s hand. A red kimono with sakura print, a dark green obi with thin gold embroidered waves and a kanzashi hairpin flashed into Akihito’s mind, seeing the items on display on a mannequin.

The shop-owner would be send to prison for a life-long sentence for the murder of three women, but that wouldn’t help the father that was left behind. The man they had been able to narrowly rescue from getting brutally slaughtered by a woman who had been delusional with envy. She had been so obsessed with him, she had not wanted to accept the fact that he had had a family and instead, she had seen them as rivals for the man’s heart, leading her to slaughter all of them to get them away from the man she loved to the point it drove her mad. Akihito knew that after losing his family like this, the man would never be okay anymore, so would there even have been a point in rescuing him?

[Will daddy be okay?]

Akihito had no answer for the fearful yet hopeful small voice next to him, hoping the blonde would know what to say to sooth her worries. But he doubted that her father would be okay, having been left behind like this. The blonde had met the father a couple of times and knew it was only a matter of time before he would take his own life, having loved his family more than anything in this world.

“Soon, you’ll be together again, sweetie. He’ll be okay then, so just wait for him on the other side of the bridge. Your mother will be there and so will your sister. Be ready to welcome him and give him a big hug, because he will need it” Akihito said, his voice barely above a whisper as he saw Inspector Oogushi walk up to him, a grim look on his face and one of many cigarettes in between his lips, smoking like a chimney.

“Damn, what a mess” he grumbled and Akihito couldn’t deny that, so he remained silent, feeling the coldness in his hand disappear together with the girl’s presence as she crossed the bridge to be with her family that was waiting for her.

“But really, you must be made of steel or something, for you to be able to stomach this with a face like that” the balding inspector said with a sombre laugh that died once he saw the furrow on Akihito’s face turn into a scowl.

“Hardly. I’m currently trying to distract myself before I can come up with a plan to kill that woman myself. Maybe deliver her to the father as a gift” he said honestly and Oogushi reached up for his cigarette with a grunt.

“I’m sure I can find a way to get her some alone time with that guy” he agreed and Akihito closed his eyes.

“But what’s the use in that. Him taking his anger out on her would be satisfying but it wouldn’t diminish the grief he feels” he said and Oogushi turned back to him.

“We’re putting him in counselling” he said and the blonde was tempted to scoff. As if counselling would work with a case like this one. Akihito just wanted to go home and take a day off, away from shrine work and away from spirits, to spend with his son. For one day, he wanted to say to the world that it could go fuck itself because he needed to spend quality time with his little monkey to cleanse his soul from the sheer terror the idea of his son being death provoked.

As soon as it was okay for him to go, Akihito couldn’t leave the company of the police fast enough. Pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his worn-down jeans, his feet ate up the road to his son’s school to go pick him up. He was a little early, so maybe he would stop at a bakery to pick up a little something to eat. At least that was plan until he heard a familiar laugh. His head shot up in the direction where he heard the laugh, across the street, only to have his stomach sink as he saw his son laughing with a man much older than him.

Akihito had crossed the street in no time, walking up behind his son that should be in school at the moment, not in front of an ice-cream parlour, talking with someone he didn’t know. The blonde didn’t even bother with looking at the man, his attention solely on the six-year old that would be getting punished for skipping school. Clearly, Yukihito was aware of the impending doom as a hand landed on his yellow hat covered head, fingers spread wide around his scalp as a tingle ran down his spine, no doubt caused by the ominous aura the owner of the hand excluded. Or at least in his imagination.

“And what do you think you are doing out of school, mister?” Akihito asked with a smile on his face as he looked down on his son who flinched at his voice, drawing up his shoulders.

“Geh, mom” he exclaimed and Akihito tightened his grip slightly.

“Yes, mom. How surprising, isn’t it?” he asked and released his grip as his son turned around with both hands held up, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Hold up, I can explain” he said and Akihito’s eyebrow twitched.

“I’m sure you can. And you will. Written down on 40 pages, meaning 20 pages front and back” Akihito said and his son made a sound, but said nothing as the older blonde’s gaze sharpened.

“And don’t think about writing a single letter down on every page. That trick didn’t even work the first time, not the second time, and especially not fifth time” Akihito said and Yukihito clicked with his tongue as he averted his gaze.

“Sir, I’ve brought a new ice-cream” a voice spoke up as the owner stepped out of the parlour. His announcement made Yukihito draw his shoulders up higher as he grimaced.

“What a bad timing” he muttered, earning another twitch of Akihito’s eyebrow.

“What did you do this time?” he asked, already aware that his son no doubt had caused some kind of trouble. It was then that the man whose existence Akihito had been blatantly ignoring up until then, decided to make himself known and remind the blonde that he was there.

“It was an accident. He didn’t see me when he came out of the parlour and I wasn’t paying attention either, so he ran into me and his ice-cream met my pants, I’m afraid” the man said, his low velvety voice sending a shiver down Akihito’s spine. Pushing the feeling away, Akihito grimaced. From just looking at the man’s shoes, he could tell he was rich. He wondered what he would need to do repay the pants his son’s ice-cream had ruined. Besides, there was something familiar about that voice.

“I’m sorry. Please tell me what I can do to-” Akihito started but found his voice cut off by a choke as his eyes found gold. Orbs made of liquid gold. The same eyes as his son.

Oh, fuck.

“Oh fuck” Akihito breathed, unable to stop himself as his eyes widened, recognition lighting up in the golden eyes that reached above his height.

“You cursed, mom. I’m afraid I’ll have to tell grandma” Yurihiko said slyly and Akihito blinked, forcing him to avert his attention to his son.

“Forget about the curse and I’ll make it fifteen pages” he bargained and Yurihiko narrow his eyes stubbornly, the gold unnerving his mother who was desperate to not let it show despite the fact that he knew his feelings were always broadcasted on his face. He just hoped his son wouldn’t put two and two together before Akihito knew what to do.

“Ten” Yurihiko said firmly and the priest regarded him.

“Fifteen and I won’t tell grandma about the test you tried to flush through the toilet” he said and Yurihiko’s reaction was instantly.

“Deal” he said and turned his attention to the bespectacled man standing next to the imposing raven who was having trouble to take his eyes off the older blonde.

“Then can I now have my ice-cream?” he asked and the bespectacled man handed over the ice-cone with a glance at Akihito, who nodded his consent. Until something popped up in his head.

“About that, where did you get the money from for the first one?” he asked as he frowned at his son, not remembering giving him enough money for an ice-cream that morning.

“I earned it” Yurihiko said, his guard up and audible in his voice, which instantly made Akihito suspicious.

“How?” he asked and the young blonde was unable to meet his mother’s eyes.

“I won it from that fat bully in a bet. And before you say something, I only won it back from him because he stole it from Kaede and I gave it back to her. Though I kept a bit of interest, since it’s business anyway” he said and for a second, Akihito was stunned before the words tumbled from his lips before he could stop them.

“And who taught you that, because I sure as hell didn’t” he said and Yurihiko finally looked up at him.

“The old man did” he said and Akihito hadn’t known it was possible to want to hit a spirit so bad as he did in that moment.

“Then I’m afraid I’m going to have to have a talk with him” he said and then gathered the courage to address the man still remaining in place, watching them.

“But first, I will have to excuse myself for my son’s careless behaviour. There was no ill will and if you give me the bill of the dry-cleaner, I will pay you back the damage he has done” Akihito said and the man regarded him.

“I’ll forget about it if you give me your contact information” the man said smoothly, earning a shocked sound from the bespectacled man next to him, which he pointedly ignored.

“I’m afraid you forgot to do so last time we met” he said with a smirk that had Akihito’s stomach turn in a way the blonde wasn’t sure was good or bad. The man in front of him clearly was used to getting his way. He was the embodiment of the tall, dark, handsome. Black hair was slicked back with a single strand defiantly curling in front of his forehead. His eyes held secrets, though they regarded Akihito with a cocky sort of amusement. His jawline was clean-shaven and his nose prominent.

He was taller than Akihito by almost a head, even though Akihito was a little above the average height. His shoulders were wide, broad even in the white dress-shirt that clad his muscled form. His tie was slightly loosened around his neck, the first button undone to high-light the strong neckline. He was a walking sin, and he was Yurihiko’s father, recognizable in everything but the child’s eye-shape, nose and hair-colour. Though the eye-colour differed subtly in shade, with the raven having pure golden eyes and Yurihiko a liquid honey colour, there was almost no denying it. In a few years, when Yurihiko would be in his teens, he would be looking a lot more like the man in front of them.

Akihito almost choked up on the idea of it. His son was already a hand-full now. An appearance that would have women drop for him would only become a new weapon for his antics.

“I’m sure I didn’t give it for a reason” Akihito said sharply, sharper than he had intended. But he didn’t care much. He really disliked doing what other people expected him to do, especially when they were cocky and believed he would listen to their every word as if it was an order. Alas, his son was a sly little thing and decided to cut in.

“His name is Takaba Akihito and I have his contact information right here” the six-year old said as he held up the tag around his neck with his personal information and Akihito’s contact information, in case he got lost. Akihito gaped at him and for a split second, he regretted ever giving the monkey-head shaped tag to his son. Of course he didn’t actually regret it, considering his son’s wanderings. But he did regret hearing what the kid said while showing the tag.

“Also, he’s single, as long as he doesn’t inflate her” he added and Akihito was floored mentally. Though judging by the loud boisterous laugh next to him, the guardian spirit had popped up at the perfect timing and was currently crouching, holding his sides as he laughed while Akihito scrambled to shut his son up before he could do any more damage. Both of his hands curled around the young blonde’s mouth while he felt his face burn, leaving no doubt about the red shade it had taken as he stared up at the raven with wide eyes.

“I’m not- I don’t- There is- Just… don’t mind anything he says” Akihito stuttered as he tried to talk his way out of what his son had implied. Of course, it was a lie. Well, not entirely, but Akihito had only said it for a joke when he had told his son he was in a relationship with the inflatable pool they had blown up last summer, when it had gotten too hot outside to work and inside the house hadn’t been much cooler.

“We are going home now. I’m afraid Hiko still has dance classes to attend” Akihito said and this time, it was Yurihiko’s turn to gape at his mother.

“No! Please, anything but that! I’d rather have two hours of kendo training with Jiijii, even if he thinks it’s the samurai era” the young blonde exclaimed and Akihito turned at his son’s shoulder.

“It seems like he needs another lesson in history as well, considering the ‘samurai era’ doesn’t even exist. Have a nice day” the older blonde said, sending the last sentence to the raven before ushering his son forward. He could feel a gaze bore holes in his back but tried to ignore it as good as possible as he continued to walk, pushing his son forward. He was barely around the corner when he sank to his crouches with a groan, burring his head into his arms that rested crossed on top of his knees. He felt a small hand pat his head and stroke his hair fondly.

“There, there” Yurihiko said and Akihito raised his head enough to send his son a look, ignoring the way they were being watched.

“I was serious about dance lessons, you know. And I’ll ask Obaa-sama to help you with history tomorrow” Akihito said and his son withered with a groan.

“I’d much rather deal with JiiJii” Yurihiko complained and Akihito would much rather not have dealt with the shit-storm that was Asami Ryuichi, Yurihiko’s father, who had knocked the priest up at sixteen. Shaking his head, he rose back to his full height with a deep sigh. There was no changing what had happened. He would just have to find a way to deal with things as they came.

“We’ll leave everything for tomorrow. For today, how about we cook some curry together and play some shogi” Akihito suggested as he took his son’s hand in his, calmed by the warmth that travelled through the contact, telling him that his son was still warm and alive, chasing away the previous cold sensation that had been there from his contact with the lost soul. Yurihiko glanced at his mother’s hand, no doubt noticing that the temperature hadn’t warmed itself to normal yet and tightened his grip on the limb in an effort to heat it up faster, comforting the older blonde in the same way Akihito had attempted to comfort the young girl before.

“Make it Kurata and I’m in. You’re too good at shogi, it’s unfair” he said and Akihito smiled at him.

“Maybe we should ask Jii-sama and Obaa-sama if they want to play mah-jong?” he suggested and Yurihiko looked up at him, a dreadful expression on his face that was not acted.

“Are you trying to summon a demon? Have you forgotten what Baba did last time we played mah-jong?” he said and Akihito couldn’t help but laugh at the memory of his kind grandmother turning into an iron-hard, smug bitch as she whooped their asses without any of them able to put up any resistance. A lot of curses had been grumbled that night, while Sachiko had worn a constant smirk. She had been absolutely merciless.

“Better not” Akihito agreed and Yurihiko relaxed. He remained silent for a while as they walked until he tightened his grip on his mother’s hand and broke the silence while keeping his eyes down.

“Was it a difficult case?” he asked soft and Akihito looked down on him, deciding to pick him up. He disliked his son looking at the ground as if he had something to be ashamed of.

“It wasn’t difficult in terms of finding who did it, but it was a hard case, yes” Akihito said, looking his son in the eye with an open expression, answering his curiosity.

“There was a girl, double your age, but half of mine. She’s with her family now, across the bridge” the priest said as he felt short arms wrap around his neck so his son could steady himself on his mother’s hip.

“But she was still young. Still had so much to discover and so much to experience” Akihito said melancholic and smiled sadly.

“But then again, death is equal to all, as I’ve always told you. Die, we all do, but you have to do everything you wanted in life, so you don’t have any regrets. That’s all anyone can do” he said and looked at his son.

“Do you regret being my mother, mom?” Yurihiko asked and Akihito blinked. He could understand the question, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

“Of course I don’t, little monkey. I love you more than I love myself. Why would I regret having you?” he asked and Yurihiko looked down.

“Because I overheard Usui-sensei talk about you. She said that it was hard for you to find someone you love and can be together with when you have a child” he said and Akihito made a mental note to talk to this teacher. He was aware of the looks she had been sending him and of the fact that she had tried a few times to give him her number, but Akihito hadn’t shown her any interest because she wasn’t his type, not because he had a son. He wondered where she got the guts from to say something like that, but didn’t want his son to notice his thoughts.

“And? Is there something wrong with that?” Akihito asked and Yurihiko looked up at him.

“But don’t you want to be with someone who loves you?” he asked surprised and Akihito smiled at him.

“Do you love me, Yurihiko?” he asked and the smaller blonde’s eyes widened.

“Of course, I do!” he exclaimed and Akihito’s smile widened.

“Then I am together with someone who loves me. Besides, Jii-sama and Baa-sama love me. And although he’s not around much, your Jii-chan loves me too” Akihito said, mentioning his father who was still trying to convince his stubborn mother to seek contact with him. But that was not something Akihito would be bothered with when he had so much other things on his head, so he shrugged.

“If I find someone I love and I want to be with that doesn’t belong to the family, they will have to accept you first. If they don’t, I don’t have to accept them either” he said simply and Yurihiko frowned.

“And what if I don’t like them?” he asked and Akihito hummed.

“Then they’ll have to try very hard to get you to like them” he said with a smile and Yurihiko mulled over his thoughts before he returned the smile.

“I liked that old man from before” he announced and Akihito almost tripped. Of course. Leave it to his son to be so blunt. Was it a coincidence for him to admit to liking the only man Akihito had laid with, which had conceived the little monkey? He doubted it, considering Yurihiko liked a lot of people and was a very jovial kid. But to say it after the conversation they had had, was he getting at something with it, or was it just an announcement he made, like one of the many?

Akihito shook it off, deciding he was thinking too far about it and instead focussed on having a nice evening with his son. Sachiko easily gave up her place in the kitchen for them as Yurihiko announced that they would be making dinner. The young blonde helped his mother with the non-dangerous stuff like washing the vegetables and rice, and only cutting the carrots under the watchful eye of his mother. Akihito allowed him to stir the pot with the wooden spoon, which was what the young blonde proudly bragged about as soon as they brought the filled plates to the table.

As Akihito had promised, after dinner, they settled in the mutual living area where they started with a game of kurata, which then shifted into other games. Card games, word games, active games, wrestling around until Yurihiko’s face was flushed and they were both laughing. Akihito agreed to play a single video-game with his son, not wanting him to get clustered to the TV. It shouldn’t really be a worry, considering the young blonde had more interest in active things, for now. In his opinion, even laying on his stomach and colouring inside the lines of a pre-printed image was just as fun as Mario cart.

By the time Akihito exited the bathroom with his son, both freshly washed and drying their hair, Yurihiko was yawning tiredly. It was a later than his usual bed-time and Akihito wasn’t exactly more awake himself. The case that day had worn him out and he wanted to burry himself within the comfort of his futon and coming out only when the sun was at its highest. He made a soft, surprised sound as Yurihiko slipped into his futon instead of his own lying next to it.

“Can I sleep here?” the young blonde asked as he looked up at his mother, who he knew wouldn’t deny him. Akihito smiled and held open his arm, giving the go-ahead for his son to cuddle up against him, using his chest as a pillow. Akihito had no doubt that he would end up splayed out over his stomach like a cross, spread eagle and snoring, like always happened when they slept together. Yurihiko was an extremely restless sleeper, which amused Akihito as long as he didn’t wake up with a foot in his mouth, as had happened before.

He felt his son’s steady breath against his ribs as his arm curled around the sleeping form of the blonde, sending him a fond smile. He leaned forward to press his lips against the top of the blonde mop of hair as he heard his phone vibrate next to the futon. Curiously, he reached out for it, hoping it wasn’t Oogushi with another case. He frowned as he saw an unknown number on his screen, flipping open his phone and momentarily believing the device to be the devil incarnate, attacking his retinas.

_I must say, it is nice to finally have a name with the face that has been on my mind for the past years._

Akihito muffled a curse, hoping in vain that it was Oogushi with another case. That maybe instead of seeing ghosts, he had the power to turn back time so he could go back to the moment he reached out for his cellphone in order to stop himself from making that decision. It didn’t take much for Akihito to realize who it was, and irritation bubbled up in his chest. That old man really was overly confident and it grated on his nerves. His fingers were already flying over the keypad as he held his phone above his head, aware that it could attack his face any second his grip faltered.

_I wonder why exactly I slept with you when you’re this arrogant._

_Maybe it was the alcohol the first time. The second round, it was likely because you enjoyed my company that much._

_Yeah, so much I barely remember it._

_Maybe we should do it over again, to refresh your mind. How about tomorrow?_

_How about never? Don’t expect everyone to spread their legs for you when you give them a smile or two. I’m not that easy and if I remember correct, I wasn’t the first time, either._

_Ah, yes. I can still remember. But I’m sure I can change your mind, if you’d let me._

_And I’m pretty sure that I that I don’t want to have my mind changed._

Ah, great. He hadn’t even denied that the man would be able to change his mind once he had his hands on him. What could he say? Even now, the man was still his type and it had been a long time since he had last gotten some action. Not six years, but still more than two years. Akihito groaned slightly as he turned off his phone, not wanting to be disturbed. If he continued to text the man, he might get tempted into actually going in on the man’s suggestion. No-one could really blame him. He was deprived and the somewhat vague memory of the time the man had bedded him was starting to creep up on him again. He needed sleep, and lots of it. Maybe being reenergized would stop his thoughts from entertaining the possibility of rekindling what he had felt that night, six years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	5. Columbine.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Columbine ;; Resolved to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope you enjoy!

Asami frowned and looked up from the files in his hand at the sound of the engine that sounded anything but normal. Kirishima cursed as he turned the wheel, watching smoke rising from the hood as he pulled up at the first parking he found on the side of the street. Well, that was peculiar. They had just gotten the car back from the garage a few days ago and it had already broken down.

“I’ll go check the engine, sir” Kirishima said and Asami gave a hum, wondering if it was his unlucky week or something. Including the car that broken down, a newspaper had flown from the street into his face, causing him to spill his coffee all over his brand-new suit, the heel of his shoes had come undone as if they had grown a mouth and attempted to speak, the fire-alarm in his bank had gone off and the place had shut down right before he had been able to enter.

That was only scratching the surface of what had happened in the past week. But Asami had never really been one to believe in things happening out of luck or fate. So he had moved on as if nothing had happened. He had changed his suit with the reserve one he kept in his office and send his sullied suit to the drycleaner. He had thrown away his shoes and exchanged them for a new pair instead of letting them get fixed. When he had been locked out of his bank, he merely went home because there was something called PC-banking.

And like now, when the car broke down, he would use this time to do some extra paperwork so he would have less tomorrow.

Or at least, that had been the plan until he caught a mop of blonde hair across the street.

Deciding to put aside his paperwork before he could finish it, he left his black leather briefcase in the seat next to him as he got out of the car. Kirishima looked up from under the hood when he heard the car-door close.

“Sir, I’ve called the garage. It might take a while before the car will drive again. Shall I call Suoh to come pick you up?” the bespectacled man asked and Asami waved it off with a short shake of his head.

“No, that’s quite alright. I will get home” he said and Kirishima frowned.

“Sir?” he asked confused but Asami already stepped away from the car.

“Don’t worry, Kirishima. I’m not alone” Asami said over his shoulder as the cars slowed down to let him cross the street, leaving his right-hand man, secretary and bodyguard behind with the car and his work. Asami suspected the bespectacled mob to have some objections about his sudden eloping, armed or not, but his attention was on the blonde looking up at the building in front of him with his hands pushed in his pockets.

Asami took the time to regard the young man, taking in the one-night stand he hadn’t been able to forget about. Blonde hair swayed in the light breeze, illuminated by the streetlight that turned on to light up the sidewalk in the late evening. His lean form was clad in destroyed jeans that hugged his curves in a way that had Asami lick his lips. A black tank top was tight around his torso, climbing up to bare a teasing sliver of his hipbones. A flannel shirt was worn on top of it, left open to dance in the light breeze that ruffled his hair.

It was only when Asami stepped up next to him that the blonde took notice of him, his hazel eyes shooting up to meet with his. There was a defiance to his look that seemed to be ingrained in them, as if he was born with it. His skin wasn’t pale, but it was flawless with not even a single blemish or scar that spoke of those terrible puberty zits even Asami had suffered from. His lips weren’t plumb, but that only made Asami want to taste them more, even when they were pulled down in a forced grimace.

“Good evening” Asami said before the silence became uncomfortable.

“What the hell are you doing here?” the blonde asked defensively, discarding the crime-lord’s greeting.

“My car broke down and then I recognized you, so I figured I’d come over for a chat, since you were looking lonely while staring at that building” Asami explained smoothly and the young man looked over at where Kirishima was still attempting to revive the car. A shocked expression took over his face as his lips parted with a betrayed sound, looking at the car as if he was seeing something Asami wasn’t. The exact same look he had been staring up at the building with. While Asami suspected other people to be put off by that kind of behaviour, it only interested the raven.

What was the blonde seeing that he wasn’t?

“I’m surprised you recognized me” the blonde said as he turned back to the crime-lord who narrowed his eyes amused.

“You recognized me as well, didn’t you? Or maybe I am so memorable because I was your first time” he said and the blonde scoffed.

“Hardly. I wasn’t a virgin, not even back then” he said before looking away, a light blush landing on his cheeks.

“You were my first man, though” he admitted, making something stir in Asami’s gut. This kid was seducing him again and he wasn’t even aware of it.

“Not that I had a lot of women either! I was still in high school, but that doesn’t really mean much considering that’s where I had my first time” he said quick, as if he tried to hide his embarrassment and distract the raven from the admittance. But then he realized he was only making it worse, grimacing as he kept his eyes averted, his cheeks glowing red.

“The school nurse?” Asami guessed, for now taming the need to dominate the young man in front of him. Not even him admitting that he had been a minor during their fling was deterring his need to have the blonde again, to see if his memories of that night still lived up to reality.

“He was a guy, and ugly at that, so no. The art teacher” the blonde said and Asami gave a hum.

“Well, I had practically every one of the teachers that ever taught me, so I won’t judge” he said, watching the blush spread to the blonde’s nape.

“Oh wow! That’s too much information. I know I gave too much information as well, but this is not the sort of conversation people should be having on the streets” he said as he turned to walk away. However Asami wasn’t getting shaken off so easily.

“Then, let’s go somewhere we can talk about it. I’m interested” he said as he fell in step next to the blonde who was barely able to shoot him a short glance.

“How about no? I can’t stay out long. I’ve got a kid at home, remember?” he said and that was exactly what interested Asami, who put on his smoothest smile.

“One drink. Only one drink and I’ll pay” Asami tried to bargain and the blonde scoffed.

“Yeah, like the last time, one drink each round” he said grimly amused and Asami smiled.

“Ah, so you do remember our time together. I expected you to have a blank hole with the hangover you no doubt had” he said and Akihito grimaced at the memory and the fact that he had blatantly admitted to thinking about their one-night stand often enough to remember everything, including the time before it.

“Yeah well, I’m cursed with the fact that when something gets my attention, I can’t let it go. Blank spots in my memory will obviously make me curious to what I can’t remember” he said and Asami easily kept pace with him as he moved smoothly through the crowd, as if he was trained to calculate the road that weaved in between the people without even as much as brushing their coats. He was able to make his way through the crowd, unnoticed until Asami brought him to a stop by holding his elbow.

“One drink” he repeated and the blonde regarded him, biting on his lip as he mulled over the suggestion. The action intensified the stirring in Asami’s gut, yet he pushed it away. If they ended up sharing a bed once more, that would be a bonus he wouldn’t turn down, but it was not his main reason for approaching the young man.

“Fine. One drink” the blonde agreed with a grumble and Asami looked over at where he saw a small bar. He had never been there before, but it would suffice. It wasn’t his usual style of bar he visited, but it seemed to suit the blonde perfectly, so if it helped the young man relax and let his guard down, Asami would deal with it.

“A beer?” Asami guessed as he watched the blonde sit down at the table across from him, the old, wooden chair creaking under his weight.

“Yeah, please” he said and glanced up as the bartender stepped up next to their table. Because there were only a hand-full of people in the bar, it didn’t take long before two beer bottles were placed in front of them and they were left alone again.

“So, what did you want to talk about? I doubt you wanted to treat me to a drink without having a purpose” the blonde said and Asami regarded him.

“Indeed, I do have a purpose. I have several purposes for buying you a drink” he admitted and the blonde scoffed.

“If it’s to get me to sleep with you again, I’ve been there and done that, remember” he said and Asami smiled, a tad bit too smug, perhaps.

“If we do end up sleeping together again, that would be an added bonus, but not my main purpose. I have a few questions for you that I would like to have answered” he said and saw the blonde tense up as his eyes shifted away unconsciously.

“Aren’t you too old for never have I ever?” he asked, a strange tenseness in his voice that Asami had heard often enough to recognize. It was a rather clear sign that he had been poking at something the other person wanted to hide yet had the feeling he knew about it already. Asami had heard it so often in people he interrogated when they tried to fake any involvement. The innocent-game.

“What is that? I’m afraid I’m a bit out of touch with the youth” Asami said and the blonde glanced at him, a hint of amusement entering his eyes at the raven’s admittance of his age.

“It’s a drinking game. One person makes a statement about what he hasn’t or wouldn’t do and those that have done it, have to take a shot. It’s a great way to get to know new people in a group of friends” he said and Asami raised an eyebrow.

“Regrettably, there are no shots here. At least none I would drink” Asami said with a look at the cheap alcohol on display behind the bar.

“So how about I just ask questions and you drink whenever you want to” Asami suggested and Akihito scoffed.

“I thought that was the whole reason of buying me a drink” he said and leaned back in his chair, spreading his knees underneath the table.

“Then, mind answering some of my questions?” Asami asked and Akihito made a move with his hand holding the bottle.

“Fire away, I guess. Not that having my permission or not will stop you” he said, trying to make a sarcastic joke despite the clear tenseness in his frame. But he was right. Permission or not had never stopped Asami before.

“How old were you when we slept together?” Asami asked, starting with a question that was not the main reason for buying the blonde a drink. Akihito took a shaky breath and turned his head away in an attempt to hide the blush on his face.

“Wow, you certainly don’t beat around the bush, huh” he said and raised his free hand to rub his nose in a nervous gesture before taking a drink of his beer.

“Sixteen” he muttered and ruffled up his hair.

“I was sixteen” he repeated louder and Asami gave a nod. He had suspected something like that, but his guess had been a little older that day. Maybe back then, it was wishful thinking to make him feel less guilty for seducing someone in high school, thinking he’d been in his final year.

“You haven’t changed anything” Asami said and the blonde grimaced.

“That doesn’t make me happy. It’s been years, you know. I’m an adult now” he said and Asami gave a hum.

“You’re a parent now as well” he said, getting to the subject he wanted and making the blonde tense.

“Yeah” he said, if only to say something.

“Yurihiko was it, right? A name I haven’t heard before” Asami said despite that he clearly saw how the subject made the blonde uncomfortable. But he wasn’t stupid. Neither of them were. The blonde just liked to play it.

“Hn. I took part of it from the name of the midwife that helped me through my labour. The other part was just because I took one look at him and it popped up in my head and wouldn’t get out. So I combined them” he said and despite his uncomfortableness, a small smile tugged on his lips.

“He told me he was six” Asami said and the blonde looked at him.

“Can you get to the point?” he asked, getting to anxious from the questions and what he knew they would lead to. Asami crossed his arms on top of the table as he leaned forward.

“He’s my son, right? And don’t even attempt to deny it. I look in the mirror” Asami said, a hint of amusement in his voice at the end. How stupid did the blonde think he was that he wouldn’t recognize his own features even if they were on the face of another. The young man grimaced as he looked away, tightening his grip on his bottle.

“If you already know, why bother asking?” he asked curt and Asami raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of his beer.

“Because I was wondering if you ever planned on informing me of the fact that I fathered a child” he said and Akihito’s expression smoothed.

“I had no intention of ever doing so” he said calmly and Asami tilted his head.

“And why not? What if he asked about his other parent? Would you tell him they are dead?” he asked and the blonde scoffed, as if he heard something so amusing it warranted a soft laugh.

“That wouldn’t work with him” he said and shook his head, his smile falling once more.

“Up until now, he hasn’t asked anything about his other parent yet and if he does ask, I’ll be honest with him and tell him he was conceived during a one-night stand. Maybe it’ll teach him a lesson to use condoms. Something I should have used as well” he said and Asami regarded him.

“You never mentioned being an omega” he said and earned a sardonically amused smile with a raised eyebrow.

“Would you have worn one if you had known? Or would you have pulled out?” he asked, though wasn’t expecting an answer. Not that Asami would be able to give one, considering he had never bothered with doing either of those two before. He had never even thought about the possibility of him conceiving a child. He was aware that omegas were males who were born with both the female and male reproductive system. An intersex, or hermaphrodite with both genitals fully develops.

They were able to get impregnated and to impregnate someone else. Their bodies were capable of carrying a child to term and to deliver them onto this world. Because they were able to get impregnated, they also had periods like women. But since there was no actual blood, they were called heats instead of menstruations. Takaba Akihito was the first male omega he had slept with and he hadn’t even known the blonde had been able to conceive a child. He only found this out six years later, when the kid had literally bumped into him, smearing his pants full with ice-cream.

At first, Asami had been shocked, almost to the extend he had asked Kirishima to pinch him to see if this was a dream. But seeing the equally shocked look on Kirishima’s face had been enough proof that he hadn’t been the only seeing the child. The little blonde hadn’t seemed as if he had noticed it, as if his ice-cream had been the most important thing while Asami couldn’t stop trying to think of the possibilities of this reality. Who had he knocked up? Which one of his partners had it been? Why hadn’t they demanded any money yet?

But then his answer had come as the child had gulped and tensed at the sound of a voice, one that had been vaguely familiar to Asami. It was only when he saw the face that belonged to the voice that the memories that were never far away, flooded back to the front of his mind, clear as day instead of little teasers of one of the best lays he had had. Everything clicked together in that same moment for the raven, though it took a couple more days for him to accept the fact that he had a child with the person whose responses to his touches in bed still haunted him.

“What if I told you I wanted to see him again?” Asami asked, earning a gobsmacked look.

“What?” the blonde asked, unsure if he heard correctly. Asami resisted the urge to roll with his eyes.

“You think I would just ignore something that has my blood flowing through his veins?” he asked and the blonde shook his head in disbelieve.

“Yeah! Why would a kingpin like you show an interest in one of the many kids he has walking around, conceived by unsafe sex?” he asked incredulous and Asami scoffed.

“I never knew I had conceived even one child until I saw him with my own eyes the day he ran into me and decided to give my trousers a different colour” he said and Akihito regarded him.

“He’s my son and I would like to get to know him” the raven said and the younger man narrowed his eyes, his shoulders tense as if he wanted to run away and escape this conversation.

“And what if I say you can’t?” he asked wary and Asami gave a light shrug.

“Then you can say it in court” he said and once again, hazel eyes narrowed further.

“And what if he says he doesn’t want to?” he asked and Asami looked at him.

“Then I will just have to convince him” he said and the blonde looked gobsmacked at his answers. It took a few seconds to sink in before he lowered his head onto the table with a groan.

“You’re impossible” he said, his voice muffled by the tabletop. Asami took a sip from his beer as his eyes remained on the mop of blonde hair.

“I believe I’m being perfectly reasonable. Or is it really that strange for a father to want to get to know his child?” he asked and the blonde remained silent. It was only when Asami’s drink was finished that the young man spoke up again.

“Let me think about it. Just…. give me that time, would you? I can’t just say yes or no right now. You’re not exactly father material with your job and then I’m not talking about the one on the surface. I don’t want my kid to get mixed up in your business just because he shares your blood. He already has enough to deal with and he really doesn’t need your problems or your enemies on top of that” he said and Asami could understand that perfectly. His job was one of the reasons he had never thought about having children and why he hadn’t wanted any in the first place.

But now he had fathered a son and he was curious. His interest was piqued and he wanted to know what kind of a person his child was and who he would grow to be. His job was indeed an issue and a concern, especially for the one who had raised the boy. For the blonde to consider it despite the dangers was already more than enough for Asami.

“I’ll talk to him about it as well, see what he has to say about it. If he wants to meet you, I’ll agree but under certain terms. If he doesn’t want to meet you, I want you to accept that and to stay away from him. If you come near him when he doesn’t want you to, I swear I will kill you and make sure I’ll get away with it without your body ever being found” the blonde warned with a sharp glare at the raven.

“What terms would these be?” Asami asked, his business personality coming to the front at the challenge. Akihito leaned back in his chair, his gaze remaining trained on the raven without losing any of its sharpness.

“The ones I currently have in my head are very simple ones. You won’t bring up anything involving your business, regular or underground. You won’t try to influence him in any way. You won’t expect him to take over after you die. You won’t ask him any questions about things that confuse you. If you have those questions, you come to me. If any harm comes to him whenever you are near or that involves you, it ends and I will hurt you” he said and gave a shrug.

“Things can be added on either side, if you, me or Yurihiko comes up with another term” he added and Asami mulled it over. It was all very reasonable and things he would think of as well. He wasn’t planning on doing any of the terms the blonde had stated, but there was one thing that already confused him.

“If I can’t ask him any questions about things that confuse me, how am I supposed to get to know him? What kind of confusion are you talking about?” he asked and the blonde regarded him in a way that told Asami that he knew something the raven didn’t. As if he was already waiting for something.

“You’ll know it when you start questioning it. I’m fine with you asking him questions, but once _those_ questions come up, you don’t say a word of it to him” he said cryptic, which only served to make Asami more curious. He would recognize the questions he wasn’t allowed to ask when he started questioning them? Surely, there must be something wrong with the crime-lord to have this kind of riddle capture his interest.

“I have to go now. It’s an early morning for me” the blonde said as he stood up.

“It is late. I will drive you” Asami said as he too, rose from his chair. The young man chuckled as he gave the raven an amused look.

“With a broken down car?” he reminded the crime-lord of his predicament that led to them meeting.

“Good night, Asami” the blonde said as he turned around to walk away.

“Good night, Takaba” Asami returned the parting words, watching the blonde step out of the bar, leaving him with a half-empty bottle and the bill. Asami didn’t bother emptying the bottle and added a tip as he paid before stepping outside. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised to see Suoh sit behind the wheel of the black BMW parked in front of the bar, ready to take him back to the empty penthouse.

“What happened to that situation?” Asami asked once the car had pulled away from the sidewalk onto the road. Suoh glanced back at him before direction his attention back to the traffic in front of him.

“Handled. His body has already been send to the crematorium to get burned as a John Doe” Suoh said and Asami gave a grim nod. He was glad that situation had been dealt with, but it still was a reality that was slapped in his face. He had been talking about meeting his son not five minutes ago, and now he was asking an update on one of the loose ends of one of his business affairs.

Once again, doubts started to creep up on him. Was it really a good idea to meet his son when he was this kind of person? When his hands were tainted with blood and his eyes too used to seeing death, some of them caused by him. A murderer is hardly an example for any child, did he really want to subject his own flesh and blood to that? Did he really want to overthrow the life the boy was used to, to eventually find out what kind of man Asami was?

But that was exactly the kind of person Asami was. Selfish enough to look past all that in order to satisfy his curiosity. He did what he wanted and got what he wanted. What he currently wanted was to meet the son he had fathered but not raised. He wanted to meet the child that shared his blood the same way he shared his father’s blood. His father had been the only person in his childhood to love him. His mother had abused him, up until his father had kicked her out. But by then, Asami had already believed that he was at fault for everything that happened around him.

It had taken time and lots of support from his father for him to get over it and accept that his mother had been an alcoholic who no longer had any inhibitions to be a good parent. But someone who killed people and dealt drugs amongst other things, was hardly considered a good parent as well. Still, his father had been a good parent despite sharing the same job as Asami. The raven wondered if he could ever be like his father and not ruin the child’s life.

The only way to find that out was to try and get to know his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	6. Daisy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy ;; New beginnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope you enjoy!

“Are you nervous?” Akihito asked as he looked down at his son walking next to him, straightening his jeans jumpsuit that was paired with a white long-sleeves shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“A bit” Yurihiko admitted and Akihito smiled at him ruffling up his hair.

“If you want to leave, you only have to say so” he reminded his son and Yurihiko huffed as he looked up.

“Takabas don’t run away” he said stubbornly and the older blonde smiled fondly at the same moto that had been practically beaten into him during one of his many kendo trainings with his grandfather. It hadn’t been just kendo practice, of course, but also judo as standard and dancing practices with his grandmother. He had grown up with that same moto and it was what caused him to be so stubborn. To see the character trait in his son was somewhat amusing.

He just wondered in how much trouble it would get his son in, if he was even a little bit like the one who gave birth to him.

“Let’s go in then” the older blonde said, placing his hand on his son’s upper back to gently coax him inside the creperie they stopped at. As if the little blonde even needed to be coaxed into the place of which simple thoughts of it already made his stomach rumble in anticipation. Akihito almost laughed at the excited sparkle in golden eyes as they looked at the counter displaying several toppings, ranging from ice-cream, fruits, chocolate to even the savory stuffing.

Akihito couldn’t deny that the smell was appetizing and his thoughts were already trying to figure out what he would be choosing and just how much they would be able to stuff into one crepe. But seeing as how he was an adult, he would keep his manners. And grab the back of his son’s jumpsuit before he could jump onto the counter.

“We’re not here only for the crepes. We’re waiting for someone, remember” Akihito said and Yurihiko looked up at him with a somewhat dry look.

“Speak for yourself. I’m here for the food” he said and the older blonde couldn’t help but snort. He should have seen that answer coming. The sight of food almost always made Yurihiko’s priorities shift. Akihito wondered how it was possible that the smaller blonde didn’t gain an ounce with everything he put in that void he called a stomach, but then he looked in the mirror and was forced to shrug it off.

Guiding his son to one of the free table in the back of the creperie, he glanced on his watch, figuring they would be waiting for Asami a little longer. They could order a drink at the very least and hope that the raven was there before it was empty. Akihito doubted he would be able to stop his son from eating any longer than that. If it had been just the two of them, Akihito wouldn’t have minded for Yurihiko to go straight for the food, but if he allowed it, his grandmother would have his ear for not having any manners.

“Can I get you something?” the waitress asked as she stepped up to their table and Yurihiko perked up at her question.

“We’re still waiting for someone, but I’ll take a peach and mango smoothie” Akihito said and Yurihiko grinned.

“I want a chocolate milkshake! Please!” he said, tacking on the last one at his mother’s sharp look. The waitress chuckled amused as she penned it down with a smile.

“I’ll be right back with it” she said before turning away. Yurihiko practically bounced on his chair as Akihito glanced back at where the waitress was giggling with her co-workers before they looked over at him. Akihito smiled at them before looking back at his son, hearing them whisper to each other. The three girls looked like they were still in school, the waitress that had come to take their order likely still in high school, doing this job to save up money for a new phone.

Vaguely, Akihito could remember the same struggles from his own youth, but instead of a new phone, it had been new camera parts he had saved up for. Well, besides the large amount of his pay that had gone into his saving account on the bank for his dream. It had gotten another purpose when Yurihiko was born but Akihito didn’t regret it. He did feel a bit melancholic at the fact that he had been unable to finish school with the rest of his friends, but that just couldn’t be helped.

He had his diploma and whether he had gotten it through high school or home-schooling didn’t change that fact. Kou and Takato are still his friends and knew about Yurihiko from the first day Akihito had been able to take him home. His other friends who had heard about him giving birth had drawn away from him, joining in on scorning the ‘teen-mom’. That had hurt more than Akihito would like to admit, but with his son to take care of, his studies to finish under his grandparent’s tutelage and the shit-storm that were his parents, Akihito had been grateful that he hadn’t needed to come outside.

If it hadn’t been for Kou and Takato remaining with him and dragging him outside, Akihito would have likely gotten a depression. It had taken days before the two had been able to find a way around every one of Akihito’s lame excuses he had come up with in order not to come outside.

He still had homework to do? They helped him.

It was too late and Yurihiko needed to go to sleep? They came earlier.

It was lunch and he needed to feed Yurihiko? They came with a picnic basket.

He couldn’t leave Yurihiko alone? They bought him a pram to replace the old, foldable one as late baby-shower present. When they had shown up with the thing, complete with a bow around it and a dramatic reveal, Akihito couldn’t have stopped himself from laughing even if he had wanted to. It had been the first time after he had dropped out of school that he had laughed. For that reason, Kou and Takato would forever be part of the Takaba family for both Akihito and his grandparents.

So all in all, while Akihito might have lost a lot of experiences one could only have as a teenager, he had gained so much more. How could he ever regret that?

“Here you go” the waitress from before said as she arrived back at their table with their drinks. In a move that was way too automatic, Akihito’s hand shot out to prevent Yurihiko from jumping up and knocking the table over in his eagerness.

“Thank you” Akihito said, sending the girl a smile before turning to the smaller blonde with a sharp, warning look.

“Your little brother?” she asked curious and as Yurihiko’s hands closed around the tall glass holding his milkshake.

“My son” Akihito corrected with a fond tone, pretending he didn’t see the disappointment in the girl’s eyes. It always happened whenever he admitted his relationship with the smaller blonde so he had gotten used to looking past it. The waitress looked like she was about to say something, but was cut off by someone clearing his throat behind her before she could even get one word out.

“I apologize for being late. My meeting ran out” a low baritone voice spoke up, somehow sounding disinterested without being rude. A talent in and of its own, Akihito must admit. If he hadn’t been so distracted by the low buzz-tone in his ears and the tingle that ran down his spine. Both very clear signs of a spiritual presence that Akihito could easily ignore at he looked up into golden eyes. His son on the other side couldn’t prevent himself from looking at the man next to the tall raven.

“No, we were a little early” Akihito said, nudging Yurihiko’s leg under the table with his knee, silently telling him to pay no attention to it.

“Hiko was a bit too excited when I told him we’d be eating crepes” the older blonde said with a near perfect smile. Asami looked at the youngest Takaba as he slid the chair back, deeming the waitress unimportant as he sat down.

“I can believe that” he said and Akihito looked at his son.

“I hope you still feel like eating” he said, his real question veiled by his words. Yurihiko looked up defiantly with a huff, almost looking like he wanted to pout.

“Does the earth ever feel like stopping with turning? Of course I still feel like eating. Something like that isn’t going to ruin my appetite” he said and Asami and the waitress chuckled. They didn’t even know that ‘something like that’ meant the man standing behind Asami, looking very much like he had gone through some kind of torture. There was a bullet-hole in his chest and head, a black bruising around his eyes and a split in his lip with his jawbone broken. And those were only the injuries on the skin that was visible.

Akihito could guess it was one of Asami’s victims who was holding a grudge. It would in no way surprise him. In fact, it somewhat surprised him that there weren’t more, but he guessed that was father Asami’s work. The blonde wondered if Yurihiko would make the connection and if he would be scared off by the spirit’s appearance. But then again, they had both seen much worse. They had grown used to blood and gore that it barely even fazed them anymore. Maybe they were both a bit touched in the head that way, but that made Asami who inflicted these kind of tortures no less mad than them.

“Just order your crepe, smart-ass” Akihito said fondly and Yurihiko grinned at the waitress.

“I want a crepe with cookies and cream ice cream with strawberry and banana and I want it topped with chocolate sauce” he said excited, infecting the waitress’s smile as she noted it down.

“I’ll take the peanut butter, chocolate banana crepe with whipped cream and caramel sauce” Akihito said and the waitress turned to Asami who barely spared her a glance.

“I’m fine with a coffee, black” he said and the waitress nodded before walking back to the counter to relay their order, looking less excited than she had been before. One of her co-workers met the blonde’s gaze before winking, to which Akihito promptly turned back to his son who decided to break the ice.

“You don’t want any crepes?” he asked and Asami looked at him, his eye somewhat softer than when he had been looking at the waitress, but also a little uneasy. Unsure of what to do, Akihito could guess.

“I don’t particularly like sweet things” Asami answered honestly, making the youngest blonde gasp as if it was the most shocking thing he had ever heard in his young six years of life. It probably was. He hadn’t even reacted like that when Akihito had explained to him that other people couldn’t see what they saw.

“You… you don’t like sweets? I… I can’t even” Yurihiko stuttered dramatically and Akihito bit on his lip not to snort.

“That means there is more for you, right” Asami reminded but it didn’t seem to help. The young blonde was too shocked to listen after that bomb had been dropped.

“He’s very passionate about his sweets” Akihito explained and the corner of Asami’s lips curled up in what could be called a smile, as if he couldn’t help it.

“You’d say so, wouldn’t you? I’d suggest waiting to tell him about diabetes until after he has eaten his crepe” he said and Akihito snorted.

“Trust me, I’ve tried. Told him about it so many times before and every time I get the same answer” he said and Yurihiko puffed up his chest.

“The day I get diabetes is the day I die” he said, quoting himself and making his mother roll with his eyes. Asami raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms on the table.

“Getting diabetes isn’t the end of the world” he said and Yurihiko huffed.

“Might as well be. Strict rules on when and what you eat? Who can live like that?” he asked dramatically rhetorical, almost making Akihito chuckle.

“Lots of people do” Asami pointed out, but he was holding a discussion with someone who was too stubborn to give in. Especially when it concerned food. Yurihiko liked to have a point, even when he didn’t have one.

“We’ll I’m not lots of people” he said and Akihito snorted before shaking his head seeing the highly amused look on Asami’s face.

“I deal with this smart-assery everyday” he said and Asami looked up at him.

“I doubt you have one boring day then” he said and Akihito huffed a smile.

“You have no idea” he said, glancing at his son as he looked up sideways to the spirit that had joined them, looking at the little blonde with a grin. Before Asami could notice or Akihito could nudge his son, the waitress returned with their crepes and Asami’s coffee. Yurihiko’s attention instantly shifted away from both spirits to the food placed down in front of him. Akihito stopped the younger blonde from digging in like a pig, moving the napkin on his lap and a second one around his neck. He couldn’t be too safe. He knew his son and he knew how big the possibility was for him to spill half of his food on his clothing in his eagerness to get it in his mouth.

It seemed to amuse Asami greatly, looking like he was enjoying the food just by watching the young blonde eat. Well, scarf it down was a better way to describe it, no matter how much Akihito tried to calm him down. In the end, he just gave up with a somewhat fond shake of his head, cutting into his own pancake. The silence remained for a little while before Asami broke it.

“How much money could you save if he became a cook in the future?” he said amused and Akihito scoffed.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. As I see it now, he’d get fired on the first day because he’s eating all the food that’s supposed to go to the costumers. A food critic would be a better job for him” he said and Yurihiko huffed as he looked up, finally taking a break from stuffing his face as if the heavens were coming down on their heads.

“I won’t become a food critic. I’ll become an astronaut. They have cool food and all the way up there, nobody can tell me when and when not to eat” he said and Asami raised an amused eyebrow.

“But up in space, you have a limited amount of food” he reminded the youngest blonde and Yurihiko blinked at him.

“Then I won’t become an astronaut. I’ll become a priest like mom, because he gets free food and snacks all the time from all the grannies in the neighbourhood who he charms” he said and Akihito gave him a sidelong look.

“Could you not make it sound like I’m some kind of host?” he asked and the young blonde titled his head.

“What’s a host?” Yurihiko asked and Akihito grimaced inwardly as he smashed his own windows.

“Maybe your future job. If you don’t get fat from everything you eat and the girls stop wanting you, that is” he said and Yurihiko scoffed.

“Getting fat is fine. I just have to make enough money and the women will come as well. Like bees to the honey, right? Kuro-sensei said so” he said and Akihito looked somewhat uneasy while Asami just chuckled.

“Yeah, I don’t think you were supposed to hear that” Akihito said and Yurihiko tilted his head.

“I don’t think Kuro-sensei was supposed to say it in the first place. His mother got the same look on her face as Baba does when she finds you sneaking in candy before dinner” he said and before turning to Asami.

“What did you want to be when you grew up?” he asked and Asami lowered his cup with steaming coffee.

“Let’s see. There was a time when I wanted to be God, but then I realized I’m not catholic and I didn’t want to be nailed to a cross” he said and crossed his arms on top of the table.

“After that, I wanted to become a sumo wrestler, but then I found out I’m better at Muay Thai. In the end, I became a businessman because that was the most realistic” he said and Yurihiko tilted his head.

“Muay Thai? A martial arts?” he asked and Asami gave a nod.

“I practiced throughout my entire school career, from middle school to university. I still go to the gym regularly to work out” he said and regarded the young blonde as he tilted his own head slightly.

“Are you interested in Martial arts?” he asked and Yurihiko gave a hum.

“A little. At the shrine, all of us learn judo as standard and JiiJii and mom teach me kendo as well” he said and perked up at the interest in golden eyes that were a little brighter than his own.

“Mom’s a black belt in both judo and kendo” he said and Akihito gave him a dry look.

“What are you bragging for?” he said and Yurihiko looked up at him with a cheeky grin.

“Because my mom’s a bad-ass” he said and Akihito scoffed, jerking his chin at the younger blonde’s plate.

“Eat your pancakes before they get cold, little monkey” he said and this time, it was Yurihiko’s turn to scoff.

“As if they have time to get cold” he said and Akihito rolled his eyes up at the ceiling before noticing Asami’s attention on him.

“Black belt in Judo and Kendo, was it? How long have you been studying martial arts?” he asked and Akihito shrugged.

“Since I was four and half and too much for my parents to handle” he answered and Asami gave a hum.

“Like mother, like son, then?” he guessed and Akihito huffed amused as he glanced down at his son.

“I was a little more rebellious than him. Though with Hiko, it’s either savage or cute. There’s no in between” he said and sighed deeply.

“I’m not looking forward to his puberty. If he’s anything like me, I’ll be bailing him out of jail for using the rooftops as shortcut to school after oversleeping” he said and Asami raised an eyebrow.

“That happened a lot to you?” he asked and Akihito scoffed as he looked up at the raven with a light smirk.

“More than I care to remember. But I’ve always been into parkour and free-running. You know what they say, idiots like high places” he said and Yurihiko snorted as he looked up at the older blonde.

“You just called yourself an idiot” he said amused and Akihito huffed as he closed his eyes.

“An idiot recognizing himself as an idiot is one step closer to wisdom” he said and Yurihiko failed to muffle his laughter, having it pass his lips like blowing a raspberry.

“Even if you try to say it like something Jiijii would say” he said and Akihito send him a sour look.

“Eat your pancakes or I’ll eat them for you” he warned and Yurihiko was quick to turn back to his food, rushing to stuff the last bites of his pancakes into his mouth. Asami chuckled at the scene as the young blonde turned towards the oldest with a smug expression, completely undone by the way his cheeks were stuffed, making him resemble a squirrel more than a human child. It didn’t take long before Akihito had cleaned his own plate and Asami had finished his coffee and his lunchbreak.

“I had a pleasant time. I would like to repeat this” Asami said as they stepped out of the café. Akihito looked down on his son, silently telling him it was his choice whether he wanted to or not. After meeting his mother’s gaze, Yurihiko turned to Asami with a grin.

“Next time, we’ll go for BBQ. It’s more fun if we can all eat” he said and Asami gave a nod.

“I’ll let Kirishima look up a nice restaurant” he said and with a last look at the older blonde, turned away to go back to work. Akihito laid a hand on his son’s back to coax him the other way, noticing how young golden eyes glanced back for a last time at the raven’s retreating back in uneasy.

“Are you sure?” Akihito asked and Yurihiko hummed inquiring as he looked up at his mother.

“That you want to meet him again?” the priest clarified and Yurihiko hummed, reaching up to take his mother’s hand in his.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Besides, it was fun. One or two lost spirits won’t scare me off” he said and Akihito frowned. I would be good if Yurihiko never came to the same conclusion as Akihito did. The older blonde knew what Asami was and what he did as lucrative side-job. It wasn’t hard to connect the dots to the lot spirit’s identity or what had happened to him.

Akihito had made the condition that Asami wouldn’t involve Yurihiko in anything that had to do with his business. That condition had been violated in his eyes. But his eyes saw things other people didn’t. Then, if Asami wasn’t aware of what he had dragged to the first meeting with his son, could the condition still be considered violated? Asami couldn’t see what Akihito and Yurihiko saw, so could he really be blamed for that?

“You know there were terms discussed for him meeting you, right?” Akihito asked and Yurihiko nodded as he looked up.

“I know. About not getting me in danger” he said and then frowned slightly.

“But I don’t think we can leave him in danger. That one man didn’t look kind and he didn’t feel good either” he said and Akihito hummed.

“That’s what happens when someone holds a grudge” he said and not wrongly so. He could agree with the man holding a grudge against Asami. There was evidence enough that it wasn’t ungrounded or for a stupid reason. Akihito had seen plenty of spirits hold a grudge for the most ridiculous things ranging from ‘he fed my cat once’ to ‘He’s popular with women and I’m not and that’s just not right’.

“But that man wasn’t doing anything, even though it looked like he wanted to. He didn’t even say anything” Yurihiko said confused and Akihito looked at him.

“That’s because he doesn’t yet have that power. It’ll come, eventually” he explained and Yurihiko looked up at him again.

“Then, we can’t just leave him alone. We have to do something before he gets that power. That man really didn’t have a good vibe and you were the one who always tells me that I should help the people around me when they need it. Asami-san needs it. He can’t see that man, but we can. We can’t just leave him like that without helping him” he said and Akihito resisted the urge to grit his teeth. Of all the times for his own words to be used against him.

But, he couldn’t deny it. His grandparents had always told him those same words he had passed down to his son. If he ignored those words now, he would be dishonouring his grandparent’s teachings. Not to mention that he would be putting a bad example for his son. As if he wasn’t a bad example enough yet.

“Okay, fine. We’ll help him” he said after a deep sigh, giving his son a sharp look as he perked up.

“But only after he asked us. I agree that I always say that we need to help those who need it, but I have a policy of only helping with the supernatural when people or spirits reach out to me first. That won’t change. I won’t do anything unless he asks me to” Akihito warned and Yurihiko nodded quickly. The older blonde sighed deeply, wondering if he was making a mistake that he would come to regret in the future.

Akihito had no issues with making mistakes, since the end results weren’t always bad. Look at Yurihiko, he was a mistake, but not one Akihito regretted. He had slept with Asami once, coaxed into it by curiosity and smooth, experienced words. While it had been initially painful, by the end of the second round, it had felt so incredibly good that Akihito hadn’t minded going for a third one and a fourth one that morning before he had to take the short-cut to school, traveling by rooftop. Akihito hadn’t regretted that night. Not really, at least.

There were a few times that he thought he regretted it, but then he remembered how good it had felt and how much he loved Yurihiko, and the regret disappeared like snow melting in the sun. He would never change anything about the outcome of that night. But that was the problem. If it had happened once, it could happen again. Akihito was quite sure that Asami would be able to break through his defences. It didn’t help that the older man was Akihito’s type.

He had tried another man a few years ago, to see if his preferences went both ways. He had confirmed his sexuality, but also the fact that Asami was without a doubt the best lay he had ever had. The man had been so skilful that Akihito had trouble finding someone who could erase the experience. Or at the very least could live up to it. Because of that, added with raising a child, Akihito’s interest in sex had dwindled. But with the raven standing in front of him, wanting to get to know his son and not hiding that he wouldn’t mind having Akihito back in his bed, the blonde was struggling with the idea of sexual intercourse once more.

How ridiculous it was. He was a young man in his twenties who had beared and raised a son, but was afraid of intercourse. But he was still young and inexperienced as a mother. Wouldn’t longing to share a bed with a man he knew to be dangerous disqualify him as a parent? Even when that same man was his son’s biological father?

“Mom?” Yurihiko spoke up, drawing the older blonde from his somewhat self-loathing thoughts.

“What’s for dinner?” the younger blonde asked, successfully getting the grim expression of his mother’s face.

“You just ate!” Akihito exclaimed and Yurihiko shrugged.

“And I’ll eat again in a few hours. What’s wrong with wanting to know what we’re going to eat?” he asked and Akihito looked at him. Well, he couldn’t say anything to that.

“I think Obaa-sama said something about chicken stew” he said and Yurihiko shuddered with a grimace, looking up at his mother with pleading eyes.

“Can we go back to the pancake café for a few pancakes to go?” he asked and Akihito scoffed. That wasn’t going to happen, no matter how much he begged and they both knew it.

“If you eat half a ladle, I’ll add an extra snickers bar to your lunchbox tomorrow” Akihito bargained, instantly closing the deal. Sometimes, his son was so easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	7. Eustoma.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eustoma ;; Appreciation for peace and joy in your life. Kindness towards others and yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and its OCs!  
> I hope you like it!

“Hiko, would you like to come with me on a job?” Akihito asked as he looked at his son that morning. Yurihiko’s head shot up, looking from his bowl of cereal up to where the older blonde was sitting across from him. Akihito regarded his son openly, biting down in his half-eaten toast with jam, his second one that morning. Because he had woken up way too early that morning, too restless to sleep for some reason he would put his finger on, he had exhausted himself by cramming in from extra training, meaning that he was double as hungry than he usually was.

“You mean skipping school?” Yurihiko asked sceptic, narrowing his eyes to test his mother as he wondered whether or not it was joke. Akihito merely gave a nod, emptying his mouth to speak.

“Yes, skipping school. I’ll call the headmaster to tell him you’ll be absent. If you want to go, that is. And don’t go just because it means you can skip school” he said, instantly adding that last bit in a stern voice, knowing that if he would have been in Yurihiko’s shoes, he would have taken advantage of it without a second thought. But then again, he had always been a little shit like that. It wasn’t like he disliked going to school, but it was just more fun to do something that was considered ‘bad’.

“I want to go!” Yurihiko exclaimed and almost crawled over the table, one knee perched onto it as he had his hands placed in the middle of it.

“I want to go because you need my help, right?!” he said and Akihito scoffed as he reached out to gently push his son off the table and back into his seat.

“As if I need your help, little monkey” he said and smiled at the younger blonde.

“You want to know how I work, right? I believe this particular case would be good for you to join me on and assist me” he said and Yurihiko nodded eagerly.

“Eat your breakfast and go change. I’ll call your school to inform them. We’ll leave at 9, so be ready by then” Akihito said and almost snorted at the way Yurihiko shovelled down the rest of his cereal before tipping his bowl back to slurp up the milk. After getting permission to leave the table, he leaped off his chair to rush to his room, completely ignoring Akihito calling after him to slow down.

The older blonde shook his head lightly but fondly as he reached into his pocket for his phone to call Yurihiko’s school to inform them of his son’s absence. He was aware that it was not a good thing to do, but after the distressed mother had reached out for help the previous day, going as far as to visit the shrine in person, Akihito knew he couldn’t leave her without trying to do something. Yurihiko’s presence with him might calm down some of her worries.

After finishing a peach flavoured yoghurt cup and cleaning the table, Akihito went to his room to get dressed as well. He found Yurihiko staring at the tatami in front of him with a troubled frown and his arms crossed in front of his chest. It wasn’t exactly the tatami he was staring at, but the clothes splayed out on it.

“What should I wear to look professional without trying to look too old?” he asked as he noticed his mother stepping up next to him, amused at the youngest’s predicament.

“How about clothes?” he suggested and Yurihiko rolled with his eyes.

“Don’t be a smart-ass, mom. I mean which one?” he asked and Akihito let his hand come down on the mop of dirty blonde hair, ruffling it up.

“Wear whatever you like, little monkey. Nobody is going to judge you on that” he said before stepping past him to the closet to pick out his own clothes. Akihito wasn’t the least bit fussy, grabbing the first thing in his closet that seemed to fit together. This time, it was a distressed and washed out denim jeans with the ankles rolled up, combined with a white and grey striped T-shirt and a black cardigan, both sleeves pushed up to the elbow.

As he turned around, Yurihiko was dressed as well, having decided on a light grey pair of shorts, reaching a little above his knees. On top of it was a light blue half-button-up shirt with short sleeves and a mandarin styled collar. The young blonde had a great sense of style and Akihito wondered more often than not who he got it from. Was it in DNA or in blood or something, because that was certainly not something his son had inherited from him, who just pulled on whatever laid on top of the stack.

“You’re not going to be cold like that?” Akihito asked as they stopped in the genkan to pull on their shoes, Yurihiko tying the laces of his white sneakers while Akihito slipped into his black running shoes, already laced up.

“I’m taking my jacket” Yurihiko said knowing that despite the temperature that was getting warmer, it was still pretty chilly in the morning, which was why he snatched up his thin black jacket on his way out. The entire way to the address Akihito had gotten, Yurihiko was jumping around, overly active for so early in the morning. More often than not, the older blonde had to reach out to calm him down before he could run into someone or stumble onto the street and get hit by a car. There wasn’t even a slightest hint of exhaustion when they reached the address, standing in front of a huge apartment building that looked like it would cost a life to live in.

“Is this what they call shitting money?” Yurihiko asked and Akihito send him a sharp look, flicking the shell of his ear despite thinking the exact same thing. At least he hadn’t said it out loud.

“Watch your language, little monkey. Especially in there” he chastised and Yurihiko glanced up at him.

“Okay~” he sang with a sigh, earning a suspicious look from his mother as they walked inside.

“I’m serious, Yurihiko. No dirty language or you’re going home immediately and I’m never taking you along on a job, ever again” Akihito warned and Yurihiko looked up at him, knowing it was serious when his full first name was used. There were levels to his mother’s warnings. The first warning was just a regular warning with ‘Hiko’, the second warning was the use of his first name. The final warning, one he had only gotten a hand-full of times, was the older blonde saying nothing but his entire name, first and last. Yurihiko had never tested that one, too weary of the consequences to do so. He knew his mother was dead-serious when he used his entire name, warning him that the line he wasn’t supposed to cross was brushing the sole of his foot. Luckily, he wasn’t there yet and it would take whole lot more for him to get there.

“I understand” the youngest blonde said with his hand against his temple in a salute, on the receiving end of a stern look before Akihito turned to the worker standing behind the counter in the lobby. It was already amazing that there was something like a lobby to begin with, but Akihito tried not to let it show how much the building intimidated him. Everything inside looked like it costed double the amount of what he earned and entering it with an excited six-year-old was the equivalent to pushing a bull in a china shop. Not to mention that he had his clumsy moments as well, which meant that there was no way they were going to leave that building without breaking at least one thing.

“Hello, we’re here to see Sasaki Kumiko. She should be expecting us” Akihito told the receptionist who picked up the phone.

“Who should I say is here?” the receptionist asked and the blonde smiled.

“Takaba Akihito” he said and the receptionist gave a nod before turning his attention to his phone while Akihito turned to his son. Or at least where he was supposed to be, which was not where he was. The priest clicked with his tongue as he looked around, finding the small blonde standing at one of the plants next to the elevator, pulling softly on the leaves to check if they were fake plants or real ones.

“Hiko” he hissed, earning his son’s attention as he flinched at his tone, looking over his shoulder with wide eyes.

“Sir, Sasaki-san is expecting you. Please go up to the fourth floor” the receptionist said and Akihito gave a distracted thank you before moving over to where his son stood, giving a soft sigh and a shake of his head. Honestly, what had he expected. Yurihiko was his kid and when he was younger, he had been even worse, so scolding him for it would be hypocritical. He couldn’t blame the young blonde for the curiosity he had inherited.

“Go ahead and press the button” the older blonde said with a jerk of his chin at the elevator panel, making a grin appear on the younger blonde’s face as he raced over to press on the panel. However, before his fingers could even touch the button, the elevator came to a halt with a ting, the doors sliding open smoothly.

“Geh” the oldest of the two Takaba’s exclaimed, barely stopping himself from taking a step back as golden eyes rose up to meet his. Of fucking course. Just his luck. Asami Ryuichi, of all people, had to step out of the elevator. The person Akihito was overly self-conscious about, who tried to seduce him for a second time, just had to appear in front of him when he least expected it.

“Asami” Akihito said as Yurihiko stepped up next to him, taking his hand in his smaller one. For as curious as he was, the little blonde was still weary of the intimidating man. Unsurprisingly, really.

“Takaba-san, Yurihiko-kun” the raven said, a pleased hint entering his golden eyes as he stepped out of the elevator car.

“What a pleasant surprise to meet you two here. How are you doing?” he asked and Akihito resisted the urge to shrug, trying his best to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine and the lost spirit standing behind the raven. Just like before, the spirit was in anything but a good mood, glaring at both Asami and the two Takabas that made Akihito want to pull his son protectively behind him.

“Work” the blonde said, hoping that would be the end of it as Yurihiko grinned. Of course, his hopes would never be answered.

“He got called in for a job and he needed my help with it so badly, I didn’t even have to go to school” he said and the two adults glanced down at him before Akihito felt the urge to explain himself.

“I don’t usually do this. It’s the first time, really. I just thought” he started but was interrupted by a low chuckle as Asami looked at him.

“I’m not going to judge. I skipped half of my entire school-career and yet here I am” he said and the priest was tempted to point out that not everything he did was legal and that he was the last person Akihito wanted his son to make an example of. Some of the young blonde’s tricks and antics worried him already.

“But that doesn’t mean you need to skip school” the older man said as he directed himself back to the child before looking on his watch.

“I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a hurry at the moment, but how about we go out for lunch?” he suggested and Akihito could already see his son’s eyes sparkle at the mention of food. Fortunately, the older blonde’s decisions weren’t completely led by his stomach.

“It’s a bit sudden to plan a lunch like this” he said and Asami looked at him.

“Sushi. My treat” he said and both blondes perked up.

“Alright” they said unison, making the older man’s golden eyes crinkle at the corners in amusement.

“That’s decided then” he said before moving a hand towards the older blonde, sliding it into his back-pocket. Akihito gulped in surprise, his eyes widening as he stared up at the raven who retracted his hand, now holding the priest’s cellphone.

“I’ll give you my phone number so you can contact me when you are finished with your work and are ready to go for lunch” he said as he flipped the device open to type in his phone number. He held out the phone to its owner when he was finished, smirking smugly at the flush he found on the younger male’s cheeks.

“We’ll finish up quickly” Yurihiko said calmly and Asami chuckled at him as Akihito tried to dim down his blush, pretending the raven’s proximity hadn’t flustered him as much as it had. How much did one have to pay to be able to buy such a good aftershave?

“We’ll do the job to the best of our abilities, regardless of how long it takes” the older blonde corrected his son with a sharp look that was undone by the flush on his cheekbones.

“I’m fine with going out for dinner as well, whenever you are finished” Asami said smoothly and Akihito regarded him.

“You’re used to getting your way, aren’t you” he said with a light grimace that was answered by an arrogantly amused looked.

“Sometimes, it takes a little longer, but yes. I always get what I want” he said and the blonde instantly felt on guard at the innuendo in the older man’s voice and gaze as it trailed down his body. He inhaled shakily, hating how affected he was by a mere gaze as he urged his son into the elevator before it could close.

“We’re going now. Our client is waiting for us” he said, averting his gaze from the crime-lord. He pressed on the button of the required floor before turning around, seeing Asami look at the young blonde.

“Be sure to help your mother, Yurihiko-kun” he said, earning a wide grin.

“Leave it to me” the child said before Asami’s gaze travelled to the older blonde, the look in his eyes changing in a way that made the priest’s skin prickle.

“I will be waiting for your call, Takaba-san” the crime-lord said and Akihito was tempted to instantly refuse, seeing the doors slide shut before he could find the words. With a groan, he covered his face with his hand that wasn’t held by his son.

“You know, mom, maybe we shouldn’t go to a restaurant. You might be mistaken for a tomato” Yurihiko said dryly and Akihito resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks as he looked at the young blonde.

“Shut up” he grumbled and Yurihiko chuckled before he looked down at the ground, his smile almost instantly falling away.

“But honestly, I got a bad feeling from that spirit who’s attached to him. Even worse than last time” he admitted and Akihito looked at him before sighing, squeezing his hand.

“I know, but it’s none of our business” he answered and Yurihiko looked up at him with an honest, open expression.

“I think it is. Asami-san is my father, isn’t he? Doesn’t that make it our business?” he asked and Akihito regarded him before looking away.

“We won’t help him unless he asks for it, Hiko. Unless he asks, you don’t tell him anything about it and that’s final” he said and golden eyes narrowed at him in soft suspicion.

“You know more, don’t you? You know something that I don’t” he noticed and Akihito remained silent, his teeth pressed tightly on each other. Yes, he knew more. Of course he knew more. He had done some research on the spirit, trying to find out his identity to appease his own curiosity, which had only made it worse since he found nothing. He knew that finding nothing made the man that more dangerous considering every underling of the crime-syndicate Akihito knew had a social media page, at the very least. Yet the spirit had nothing, just like Asami had nothing. It couldn’t be a coincidence. He knew too much of the world to even think that it was.

“We have a case to work on now, little monkey, and it’s not that” Akihito said, dragging his thoughts away from the foreign spirit that hunted the crime-lord. Really, it shouldn’t be his business. He should just ignore it, but he couldn’t. Not when his own curiosity drove him to find out more. One day, his curiosity would really get him killed. But for now, he had something else to focus on.

“Excuse me! It’s Takaba Akihito” the priest called as he knocked on the door of the apartment he had been told. It wouldn’t be the first time that he had been given a false address, but this time was luckily not one of those, the door opening to reveal a young woman with short curly brown hair and a weary expression on her face. Next to her stood a young boy, one Akihito guessed was a year younger than his own son. He was clutching to the woman’s skirt, looking past her with his brows furrowed together in fear and suspicion. Clearly, he wasn’t trusting either of the blondes in front of him.

“Takaba-san” the woman said relieved and the older blonde gave an uncomfortable smile.

“Takaba-san is my grandfather, you can just call me Akihito or I’ll start feeling old” he said and lowered his hand onto his son’s head.

“This is my son, Yurihiko” he said and the young blonde grinned at the woman and the little boy.

“Nice to meet’cha!” he said and the younger boy startled back from his loud voice. The woman looked unsure of what to think of the young blonde but allowed the duo inside her house none the less. Akihito didn’t blame her for being weary of them considering everything she had went through before she had come to the shrine. Akihito knew exactly what she was going through, both her and her son.

[Oh, would you look at that! We have guests, and such good-looking ones.]

Akihito and Yurihiko looked at the tiny elderly woman in the door-opening of the kitchen, seeing a smile on her face that forced her eyes to remain closed. He hair that was up in a bun, was soaked, as was the collar of her old-fashioned dress that was worn underneath a cross-back apron. The young Sasaki shivered as he clutched as his mother’s skirt, frightened tears streaming from down his cheeks. Yurihiko took pity on the little brunet, stepping forward to place his hand on the younger boy’s shoulder despite the surprised flinch the action received.

“It’s alright. She can’t hurt you” he assured the young brunet, surprised both Sasakis. As the mother looked up in surprise at the priest, Akihito smiled.

“That’s why I brought him along. You see, my son has the same gift as me. Almost the same as what your son has” he said and the Kumiko breathed a shaky sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging as if a weight had fallen off of them. Akihito could guess that it had.

“You told me your son can hear them but that nobody believes you. My grandfather and I believe you because I can do the same. In fact, my son and my powers are stronger then your son’s. Not only do we hear them, but we can also see them” he said and Sasaki raised her hand to cover her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes out of pure relief as her son looked shocked at a grinning Yurihiko.

“I went through everything you are going through and I’ve also seen it happen with my parents. I just figured it would be easier for your son to talk about what he hears and how he feels if it’s to someone close to his own age, who knows what it’s like. In the meantime, I will take care of the old lady so she doesn’t disturb your son anymore” he said and Kumiko nodded eagerly, making Akihito smile.

“If you have any questions for me, I’ll gladly answer them” the blonde assured and ruffled up his son’s hair while looking at the young brunet.

“Do you want to hear what we do?” he asked and the youngest Sasaki looked hesitant before nodding, both brunets following the priest and his son into the kitchen where the old spirit was wondering which tea she should prepare. The job was easily taken care of and it didn’t take long before Akihito managed to talk the old lady into crossing over. However, they ended up staying over so Kumiko could talk about her troubles, asking Akihito what she should do from now on. The blonde assured the two Sasakis that they were welcome at the shrine any time before they took their leave.

“Can we go eat now?” Yurihiko asked as they exited the building. Akihito looked down at his son, wondering if he could get away with saying no when his stomach growled. Great. Even his body was betraying him. There was no use in trying to convince his son to eat something other than the sushi Asami had promised them earlier. Not to mention that Akihito had never once refused sushi, not even when he had had the stomach-flu. Refusing sushi was blasphemy to him, but he wasn’t sure how long he would be able to handle the raven’s advances. The man was already making him restless by just texting him. Seeing him in real life was just making everything worse.

“Alright. I’ll call Asami-san. I’ll need to call inspector Oogushi as well. Inform him about the cold case I’ve solved” he said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Cold case?” Yurihiko repeated and Akihito hummed as he searched through his contact list.

“It’s a case that’s been put to sleep because they couldn’t find the one who did it. The information the old lady gave us will be enough to gather proof for her daughter to be arrested” he said and Yurihiko looked down.

“Why did she do it? Kill her own mother, I mean?” he said, a sad look on his face that tugged on his mother’s heartstrings.

“I don’t know either, Hiko. Why don’t you tell me when you’ve reached puberty” he said, trying to turn it into a joke. This was why he never took his son out with him during a job. When he had heard the spirit in question was an old lady, he had thought and hoped she had died from old age. How was he supposed to know that she had been drowned in the sink by her then-pubescent daughter? Still, that didn’t stop him from feeling guilty. He would forever feel guilty for passing down his talent to his son, even if it was not something he could control.

[Takaba-san. I’m assuming you have finished work?]

“Yeah, Hiko reminded me to call you” Akihito said, pretending hearing the man’s voice so close to his ear didn’t send a shiver down his spine.

[He did well with that. I’ll reserve a table at Inose for 12.30. Think you can make it?]

“Inose, are you sure?” the oldest blonde asked in surprise, his son’s head shooting up at him with a speed that could give him a whiplash. Not that he cared about that when he heard the name of the best sushi bar come from his mother’s lips.

“If he says Inose, I’m sure he’s sure, mom!” he said before either adults could say something, his voice loud enough for Asami to hear it on the other side of the line, making him chuckle.

[Listen to our son, Takaba. Be at the restaurant at 12.30.]

“Don’t call him that!” Akihito hissed into his phone, his cheeks flaring bright red at hearing the raven call Yurihiko their son. He made it sound as if they were closer than they were. Clearly, the older man could hear how flustered his words made the blonde and it was obvious how pleased he was with that.

[It’s the truth, isn’t it? You and I made him, remember? I can still remember every single detail. How about you?]

“D-don’t talk about that” the blonde said, feeling his blush spread down to his neck and up to his ears. How was it possible that this man had the power to make his body react even with a simple phone-call.

[I’ll take that as a yes. But you don’t have to worry. I won’t do anything in front of Yurihiko-kun.]

“You better not! I’ll kick your ass if you even try” Akihito was quick to respond and heard a deep chuckle.

[So as long as it’s not in front of our son, I can do whatever I want.]

“Hell no! There’s no way I’m going to be alone with you again!” Akihito said and Yurihiko gave him a confused look.

[Why? Because you’re afraid to admit that you want me?]

“W-what?! Wh-why? I’m not having this conversation with you!” the priest said before closing his phone and with that, closing the call as well. God, he felt like he was going to faint from all the blood that had rushed to his head.

“Thank god we’re not going to a salad bar” Yurihiko said dryly and this time, Akihito did crouch down to pinch his son’s cheeks.

“What should I do about this cheeky mouth of yours, huh? I can use some Judo practice, how bout a spar this evening?” he said and the young blonde grimaced.

“Weren’t you going for a run? You said so yesterday, right?” he asked, his words deformed by the pull on his cheeks. Akihito huffed as he released his grip, resting his elbows on his spread knees.

“How about coming with me?” he asked and Yurihiko perked up before deflating again.

“But you never do those stunts when I’m with you. We only run and that’s boring” he said and Akihito hummed thoughtfully.

“If you can promise me that you’re not going to be too reckless, I can start teaching you. Just a few simple tricks” he said and once again, his son perked up, a smile forming on his lips. But almost as soon as it did, it was replaced by a suspicious narrow of his eyes.

“You brought this up because I was being cheeky, so what’s the catch?” he asked and Akihito smiled.

“Nothing but a good work-out” he said and the young blonde was visibly struggling with deciding before resigning.

“Alright, but only if you teach me how to do a flip” he bargained and Akihito regarded his son.

“If you promise me you won’t do it without me, I’ll teach you more than that” he said while holding out his hand and Yurihiko grinned, accepting the gesture to lose the deal. Little did he know that he would be worked to the bone during a training of free-running. But that was after dinner, something Akihito was glad ended without a hitch. However, there was part of him that was disappointed that Asami hadn’t tried anything. Though he preferred to focus on the reason why the spirit hadn’t been at Asami’s side. It helped the mood during lunch, but it did nothing to sooth the blonde’s curiosity. It was proof that the spirit was indeed getting stronger. The only question was, how strong was he and what were his plans? He clearly had a grudge against Asami, but how deep did that grudge go?

Don’t get him wrong, it wasn’t like he was worried about the crimelord. He was worried about his son getting dragged into it.

Or maybe, underneath all his curiosity, he was indeed a little worried about the raven. Just a tiny bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! ^^


	8. Forget me not.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forget me not ;; Reminders of your favorite memories or time together with another person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and its OCs!  
> Please enjoy :D

Akihito’s back slammed against the wall, almost hard enough to knock the air from his lungs, if there had been any in it in the first place. His breath was already stolen away by the lips moving hungrily against his own, not allowing him to inhale anything but short pants through his nose. His fingers were tangled in silky black strands that were slightly greasy from gel or wax, but the blonde couldn’t care less about it. Large hands roamed his body, sliding underneath his black T-shirt without any resistance from the fabric, the skin on skin contact leaving a burning path on his body as they moved up his arched back.

Who knew kissing a man could feel this overwhelmingly good?

To be honest, he had always been a bit curious about it. About what it would feel like to do it with a man instead of with a woman. He blamed his unending curiosity on his father, who got just as obsessed with something once it piqued his attention. However, it was hard to find someone that suited his tastes enough to make him take that last step to try. Someone who attracted him enough to make the blonde want to be bedded. Apparently, he was much pickier about men than he was about the women he dove in the sheets with. He blamed that one on his mother. God, if only she knew about how loose he was with women and about the man currently grinding their erections together.

To be honest, he hadn’t planned on sleeping with a man just yet. However, the raven that had entered the ramen shop and who had blatantly made moves on him, had piqued Akihito’s interest. There had been a dangerous edge to him that had held the blonde’s attention enough for him to buy the teen a drink. Because his shift had been over, Akihito had ordered a beer. One that had turned into two and then three. By the time the raven’s hand was creeping up the blonde’s thigh and his lips brushed against the shell of his ear, inviting him to a hotel, Akihito had forgotten how many glasses he had knocked back. However, as soon as their lips had met, none of that had mattered.

Now here he was, in a hotel-room, his head swimming with alcohol and lust as he rocked his hips forward into the older man’s pelvis. He knew he should be afraid, or at least nervous, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t be, even when he could feel every inch of the raven’s manhood through his slacks, much bigger than him. The teen was sure that sleeping with this particular man was not a good idea if he wanted to lose his ass-virginity, already knowing that the man would rip him up with that size. However, that was exactly what aroused Akihito. The fact that everything about this man was dangerous. It was pretty masochistic and fucked up from him, but he was already too far gone to care.

“F-fuck” Akihito breathed, his unseeing gaze aimed at the ceiling overhead as the man’s lips were attached to his neck, feeling him smirk against his skin.

“In a minute. Have a little patience, kitten” the man said, his voice smooth enough to make Akihito wet, both at the front and back. It was a first, that he had been aroused enough to slick up at the back, but maybe that was because his body knew he was going to sleep with a man and an alpha this time. Not that Akihito cared much about it, pulling on the fabric covering the man’s back, tugging the button up from underneath the waistband of his slack.

“Hurry” he panted, hearing one of the buttons of the man’s shirt hit the floor, yet he couldn’t feel guilty about it as he heard the man chuckle. Akihito gasped softly as he felt the older man nip at the junction between his shoulder and his neck, a little too hard to be playful but just right for the blonde.

“So impatient” the raven said amused, his fingers deftly undoing the button of the teen’s waistband. Akihito couldn’t help but moan softly as long, hot fingers dipped inside his underwear, wrapping around his erection. The weeping head aided the slide of his hand as the man tugged on the blonde’s cock, continuing to suck bright red marks on the skin of his neck. The teen’s hands twitched and trembled against the raven’s broad, muscled back as he bit on his lip to muffle the sounds threatening to fall from them. He was always more vocal when he was drunk, but never with just a hand-job. However, the raven clearly knew how to handle a man, his wrist twisting at just the right moment and his fingers holding onto him with just the right grip. But while it was good, incredibly so, Akihito was not satisfied. Not when he knew what was coming next and when he wanted it.

“Come on, come on. Hurry up” the teen said, his voice sounding slightly higher in pitch as he whined for more. He pulled on the older man’s hair, getting him to raise his head to connect their lips again. The raven didn’t seem to mind being stopped from marking the teen’s neck, forcing his tongue into the blonde’s mouth and dominating the kiss. Akihito’s lungs were screaming for air but he ignored it. Who needed air anyway? It was over-rated, compared to the pleasure the man was giving him, his free hand moving to grope the blonde’s ass-cheek like he had been doing in the elevator up to their floor. The teen hadn’t known being groped could feel this good, but he moaned into the older man’s mouth either way, his body twitching when the raven’s finger probed the damp rim of muscles in between the two fleshy globes. Anticipation tightened the blonde’s gut, his thighs starting to tremble as their lips separated.

“Why don’t you try begging me for it in a pretty little voice, hm?” the older man suggested and though he was intoxicated, Akihito’s eyebrow twitched. Intoxicated and high on arousal as he was, he was still sane enough to be above begging, glaring at the smirking man.

“Come on, we’ve already come this far. I want to hear you say it” the raven said, circling the rim of muscles when Akihito was about to snap at him, turning his retort into a keen instead. The blonde’s eyes were squeezed shut as the sensation send a shiver up his spine, feeling the raven lean down next to his ear, nipping at the shell to add another jolt to the teen’s reactions.

“Say it, kitten. Tell me you want me and I’ll give it to you” the older male said, practically purring the words into the blonde’s ear. Akihito must truly be drunk beyond believe, because he actually wanted to beg. That was just how much he wanted to be fucked by this man that was riling him up more than any woman ever had. However, his pride didn’t allow him to. Partly because he didn’t know the man’s name. He almost laughed. How ridiculous was it of him to nearly beg to be fucked by a man whose name he didn’t even know. However, at the moment, that was the last thing he cared about, turning his head towards the man’s ear.

“Just hurry up and fuck me or I’ll go look for someone else” he said and heard the man chuckle, the digit teasing his entrance sliding past the rim of the muscle, all the way to the knuckle, coaxing a hiss from the blonde.

“You mouth says that, but your body says something else entirely, taking my finger in so easily. Do you really think that at this point, you will find someone else who will satisfy you?” he asked and Akihito clicked with his tongue though he didn’t deny it. Couldn’t, was more like it.

“Then do something” the blonde said, unable to hide the whine in his tone that turned into a hum when the man curled his finger against his insides. The raven chuckled again, but didn’t test the blonde any longer, pulling his finger out until the tip before adding a second one, drawing a hiss from the blonde that was partly discomfort and partly just to make noise. It was his first time taking something up the ass and while a single finger had been bearable and not exactly unpleasant, he wasn’t sure about how he felt about the second one. However, that changed when the raven struck a spot inside of him that he hadn’t known he had. He had heard about the prostate of a man, but he hadn’t quite expected it to feel like that. However, he was too drunk and too horny to really question why there was such a switch in a man’s body, instead giving over to the sensations wrecking both his body and his mind.

“A-asami.”

Akihito’s eyes opened, staring at confusion at the ceiling above him. His body was both hot and cold at the same time, not to mention lonely. He wasn’t alone in his room, but the person next to him wasn’t the one that had just been there. Though they shared nearly the same eye-colour, everything else was completely different, much too young. It took a few seconds before the blonde’s brain caught up, every trace of heat leaving his body as cold sweat broke out on his brow and underneath his armpits. A wet dream. At his fucking age. With his son sleeping next to him, spread out so far his foot was practically in the priest’s mouth. How fucked up could he get?!

“Fuck” Akihito hissed as softly as possible before carefully moving away from his son. He needed to change his underwear before the young blonde noticed anything. He was so not ready to start explaining _that_ to the little kid, but he didn’t want Yurihiko to think he had pissed himself in his sleep either. Besides, how the hell was he supposed to explain this shit anyway? He couldn’t exactly tell his son that he dreamt about the night his mother and his father had conceived him. Hell, he didn’t even want to admit this to himself. He had sex with Asami once. Granted, they had gone at it like beasts for an entire night, but that didn’t change the fact that it had only been a one-night-stand. One of the many Akihito had had. Yet the night he had spend with Asami was the only one he couldn’t forget and Yurihiko wasn’t the only reason for that.

Akihito couldn’t forget the pleasure and the pain the man had given him that night, regardless of how much he tried or how much he wanted to. Especially when the man loved to continuously remind him of it.

“Oh, Aki-boy, you’re up already?” Sachiko asked as Akihito walked into the kitchen for a needed glass of water. The sound of his grandmother’s voice made him tense up, fearing that he might have been caught putting his soiled underwear into the bottom of the laundry like a damned teenager. He hadn’t expected her to be awake, but then again, he didn’t even know what hour it was.

“Ah, yeah, I woke up early, I guess. What time is it?” he asked as he managed to smile at the elderly woman while passing by her to the sink, reaching up for the cupboards for a glass.

“Almost six” she answered and Akihito looked over his shoulder at the grey-haired woman while turning open the tap.

“You’re quite early yourself. Did something happen?” he asked and she glanced up at him with a hum.

“I didn’t tell you? Hanae-san asked me to look after her grandmother this morning because her son is leaving on a school-trip this early in the morning” she said and Akihito frowned, turning off the tap again.

“You might have mentioned something like that. I probably forgot” he admitted and she chuckled, smiling at his back as he tilted his head back with the glass at his lips.

“It’s alright. You’ve got a lot on your head lately. You almost look like you’re in love” she said and Akihito hunched forward in a swing, coughing up the water that had gone down the wrong pipe. He placed down the glass of water to hit himself in the chest with the side of his fist as his grandmother kept chuckling, clearly amused by his reaction as he looked back at her with tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

“W-w-what makes you say that, Obaa-sama?!” he asked, his voice croaky from his coughing fit that was still causing his chest to heave up and down.

“Just kidding, Aki-boy. Though your reacting makes me start to believe otherwise” she said and Akihito was quick to shake his head.

“No! I’m not in love or anything! Why would I be? And with who?!” he asked, sounding way too defensive to be convincing. He was lucky his grandmother decided not to point it out, letting him off the hook with a hum.

“If you say so” she said before standing up from the chair she had been occupying.

“I’ll leave breakfast to you today?” she asked and Akihito nodded, grateful for the change of subject.

“Ah! Obaa-sama! Please don’t forget that Kou and Takato are coming over for diner tonight” the blonde said, stopping his grandmother from leaving the kitchen. However, his reminder only earned him a scoff and an amused look.

“I’m not like you, Aki-boy. I properly remembered” she said and Akihito grimaced slightly as she stepped out of the kitchen. Alright, so he was being a bit forgetful that morning, so what? In his opinion, it’s not like he could be blamed. Anyone would get distracted if they had a sex-dream about Asami Ryuichi. No, correct that, anyone would get distracted when they dreamt about a one-night-stand they had had six years ago. Akihito didn’t want to think about Asami more than he already did and he certainly didn’t want to know how many other people had wet-dreams about the man. He knew there would be a lot of them, but he didn’t want to be one of them.

But why was it so damned hard to forget?

“Mom?” a drowsy voice cut through the blonde’s thoughts, drawing him back into the here-and-now, looking at his son that was rubbing his eye next to him, his hair all over the place and still half-asleep.

“Oh, you’re up, Hiko” Akihito said as he leaned forward to pick up the young blonde, shifting him to his hip to place a kiss on his forehead.

“I thought you’d sleep a bit longer” he said, feeling Yurihiko wrap his arms around the older blonde’s neck while humming.

“I would have, but I could smell your eggs burn” the young blonde said and Akihito frowned as he turned to his stove with a confused hum.

“Aaaah!” the priest in shock as he saw the black mess in the pan on the fire, quickly turning it off as he placed his son on the ground again, picking the pan off the stove. The eggs were burned beyond a crisp, already well on the way to crumble into dust.

“Congrats, mom. You managed to take eggs to a new level. Charcoal level” Yurihiko said dryly as Akihito moved the pan underneath he tap, turning it on.

“Shut up” he grumbled out, clicking with his tongue in annoyance at himself. It wasn’t like him to be this out of it, yet he just couldn’t seem to get his head straight on his shoulder. He tried to by keeping himself and his mind occupied with his job, but it just wasn’t working. Each second he didn’t keep his mind busy, his thoughts would wander off to that one night that had conceived his son. The one night he had spend with Asami that he just couldn’t get out of his head. To be honest, there were worse things to think about and Akihito could acknowledge that, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to think about it for better part of both his day and night.

“Akihito!” a familiar voice resounded in the blonde’s ear as a weight settled on his back, making him look up from the piece of ground he had been sweeping for the past hour, sunken away in thought.

“Kou?” the priest said surprised, looking past the raven to see Takato grin at him behind them.

“You’re here already?” he asked and both his friends scoffed as Kou held his own elbows, resting his chin on top of his arm resting on the blonde’s shoulder.

“Already?! It’s already half six, you idiot!” Kou said and Takato ruffled up the smaller blonde’s hair with a fond smile.

“You promised us some dinner, right?” he added and Akihito frowned as he looked down on the watch on his wrist before cursing.

“It’s already this late?!” he exclaimed and his friends laughed at him as he shook them off.

“Go inside, I’ll go put away my broom and take a shower” Akihito said and Kou waved him off, telling him to take his time.

“Means more food for us” Takato added and the blonde flipped him off as he jogged towards the tool shed as the duo entered the house. Akihito almost rushed through his shower, changing his shitagi and hakama for a jeans with a T-shirt, his hair still dripping wet when he entered the living-room where the two lost sons were already being spoiled by Sachiko, Yurihiko sitting on uncle Takato’s lap.

“To think that in a few years, Hiroto will be like this too” Kou said and Takato huffed.

“Please not. I won’t be able to handle it” he said and Akihito scoffed amused, looking at his two friends next tot him as they made their way to the bar they frequented.

“I want to say that it’s not that bad, but I can’t. He’s not even going through puberty and he’s already impossible to handle” he said and Kou looked up at the darkening sky above their heads.

“That sounds familiar” he said and Akihito gave Takato a shove that was strong enough to knock him into Kou, prompting a laugh from both of them though they continued to jab at him as they entered the bar. The banter between them allowed Akihito to relax, maybe a little too much. One beer was followed by a second and a third one before he reminded himself that his grandparents were looking after Yurihiko so he had a night to let go and act his age, making him comfortable enough to order a fourth beer. Once every other week, Kou and Takato took it upon himself to take him out to town to get drunk and be like any other twentier, enjoying like as if he was bulletproof. It was something they had agreed upon with Sachiko and Hidenori, so Akihito could wind down a little as well. Usually, the blonde didn’t drink enough to get drunk, not liking the headache that followed the next morning. However, that evening, the alcohol seemed to flow a little too easily and Akihito wasn’t pacing himself correctly.

Forget about pacing himself correctly, he wasn’t even trying anymore. But while getting drunk wasn’t necessarily a problem, the blonde’s bad habit was a big one. When Akihito got drunk, piss drunk, he had the bad habit of complaining about everything and nothing, mixing the important stuff with the unimportant, not caring if someone was listening or not because he would make them. The second part of his bad habit was drunk-dialling. Very specifically at that. He never once called the wrong number, no matter how drunk he was or what he was saying, half of it things he wasn’t even sure were relevant. He knew that this was a bad habit of his, had heard enough of recorded conversations to be aware of it, but when he was drunk, he seemed to conveniently forget in how much trouble it got him in.

[How pleasant of you to call me, Takaba-san, though the timing is a bit wrong.]

“I dun care ‘bout timing. Ya didn’t care ‘bout it either. ‘Nd now yer gonna list’n ta me” Akihito slurred in a way that was not to misunderstand as anything but him being absolutely piss-drunk.

[Takaba, are you drunk?]

“Yup! Absolutely tanked! ‘Nd it’s yer fault!” the blonde exclaimed into his phone.

[My fault, how so?]

“’Cause I can’t stop think’n ‘bout ya! No’in the day an’ no’ev’n at night” the young mother said, rubbing his face with the palm of his hand.

[Oh? Is that so?]

“I dunno why. Ya need ta stop bein’ in mah dreams, asshole. At least lemme sleep at night” the blonde said, letting his forehead fall on the table they were sitting at, turning his head to rest his cheek against the surface, looking at Takato next to him who returned with the next round, placing a large mug in front of him.

“Oh no, who’re you calling this time, Aki-chan?” the taller blonde asked, reaching out to take the phone out of Akihito’s hand. Of course, this would have been the best course of action to take, but the priest was swatting away his friend’s hand.

[Takaba, where are you?]

“Huh? Dunno, can rememb’r. Kou, where’re we?” Akihito asked and the raven looked up, not that much more sober than the blonde.

“Tokyo?” the raven answered in an unsure tone, making the blonde burst out in laughter, allowing Takato to take his phone out of his hand. He turned away to speak into the device while Akihito straightened up, lifting his mug to his lips. If he had been any more sober, he would have begged Takato not to tell Asami their location. Yet in his drunk mind, he thought nothing wrong of it and didn’t even entertain the idea of the man standing outside the pub, standing next to his sleek black BMW, lazily holding a cigarette between his lips.

“Yuri- no, that’s wrong” Kou said confused as the raven looked up from his cigarette, the bespectacled raven next to him reaching for the door behind the taller raven.

“I’ll bring him home” Asami said and Akihito looked up at him, his vision hazy and swimming, yet he was sure he wasn’t seeing double.

“A-Asami? W-what’re ya doin’ here?” the blonde slurred as the crime-lord stepped forward, intent to take the blonde of his friends’ hands. Akihito was pliant in his arms as it curled around his waist while his own arm wrapped around the man’s neck, feeling him lift him off the ground because the feeling in his legs was long gone.

“Picking you up to bring you home, you pisspot. Where’s Yurihiko?” Asami asked as he stepped into the back-seat of his car, ignoring the blonde’s friends completely while his secretary closed the door behind them.

“Ojii-sama and obaa-sama are lookin’ aft’r ‘im” Akihito said as he slumped in the raven’s lap, resting all his weight sideways against the older man’s chest. Asami’s arms remained loosely wrapped around his waist, one resting on his hip and the other on his thigh while smiling at him with a hint of smugness.

“So, you dream about me, hm?” the raven said and Akihito groaned as he let his head fall sideways against the man’s shoulder, his eyes closing.

“Yea! Ev’n now. Honestly, there’s no way ya woul’ just show up to pick me up” the blonde said and Asami raised an eyebrow.

“Really? And what would I do in that dream?” the older man asked, his thumb brushing up and down the priest’s thigh as amusement was audible in his voice. However, Akihito was too drunk to take notice of it. He was too drunk to even recognize this as reality, going along with everything as if it was a mere fabrication of his unconscious mind.

“We’d be havin’ sex, over ‘nd over again. Always that first time” the young mother admitted and Asami hummed, his hand sliding a little up, closer to the blonde’s groin.

“Is that so? Then why do you refuse me? Why resist me so hard” the alpha asked and Akihito scoffed, amused at the mere idea of it as he didn’t stop the older male’s hand from advancing, his knees unconsciously spreading to give him more space.

“’Cause ya confuse me. Why the hell am I so attracted to ya? Why do I want ya so much? Yer a criminal and only a one-night-stand, but I can’t get ya outta my he-ah-d” the young mother said, his breathing hitching as the raven’s palm pressed against his manhood through the fabric of his jeans, making him twitch in interest. His head was pushed up, lips touching his neck as he continued with his eyes closed, his breathing shortening as Asami’s palm continued to grind against his slowly hardening length. Akihito knew he had to stop the older man, but not a bone in his body seemed to listen to his rational thoughts that were trying not to drown in the alcohol he had consumed.

“What a coincidence, it’s the same for me” Asami said, a pleased tone in his voice as Akihito’s head rolled back with parted lips and flushed cheeks.

“Then maybe you should stop fighting me and just give in to what you want” the raven said, raising his lips to the blonde’s ear.

“I promise you, you won’t regret it. Just give yourself to me” Asami said and Akihito ended up doing just that, right in the backseat of the raven’s car. He turned his head towards the older man, his arms curling around the alpha’s neck as their lips connected hungrily. It was just a dream anyway, so what did it matter if he gave in to his desires? Besides, every thought disappeared from his mind, lost in the sensation of the raven trying to devour him. Akihito shifted surprisingly smoothly despite his condition, straddling the older man’s lap as his hands fisted the onyx strands on the back of the man’s head. Asami’s hands moved to the blonde’s ass, using the globes to drag him closer, grinding their arousals together with each hungry grope of the flesh. Vaguely, in the back of his mind, he heard car stop before one of the doors closed, but he couldn’t bring himself to care when their lips parted so Asami could attack his neck instead, nipping at the skin.

“A-asami” the blonde panted, his hips already moving on their own as the raven’s hands moved up his shirt, trailing his spine while pushing the fabric up and over his head. They were both surprisingly impatient, Akihito’s trembling fingers finding the older man’s dress-shirt buttons while Asami undid the button of the blonde’s jeans. The priest got clumsily to his feet next to the raven’s allowing the older man to pull the rough garment down to his knees before forcing him to turn around, pulling the smaller male back onto his lap, back to chest. Akihito whined in disappointment at being unable to continue undressing the alpha but stepped hastily out of his pant, letting the denim dangle from one ankle as he placed his heels on the seat next to the raven’s knees.

“Co-condom? I dun wanna be pregnant again” Akihito panted as Asami pulled the blonde’s boxer-shorts up to his knees, feeling the older man press a kiss to the back of his neck.

“I’ll pull out” Asami assured the young mother but Akihito didn’t believe a word he said. However, he was already too far gone to argue or stop, moaning around the raven’s fingers as they entered his mouth, requesting to be coated by saliva. Knowing that he was going to need as much lubrication as possible, Akihito slobbered all over the digits in his mouth, rolling his hips back onto the older man’s lap, feeling his impressive erection dig into the cleft of his ass even when the zipper was uncomfortable against his bare skin. Asami soon judged it to be enough, pulling his fingers from the blonde’s mouth and rushing impatiently through stretching out the younger male, but once again, Akihito wasn’t making a single move to reject him.

He raised his hips when Asami lifted him, using one of his hands to line himself up with the blonde’s entrance. The penetration was painful, almost immediately sobering the priest up, but the older male had no intention of stopping, forcing the young mother to sit down on his cock, regardless of the small trickle of blood that mixed with the saliva coating the blonde’s hole. In his half-sober mind, Akihito managed to refuse, begging the man no while he rode the older male’s erection. His body moved without his consent, chasing the pleasure he knew would come as soon as he got used to the pain, clinging to the driver’s seat in front of him as his legs slid to the back of the seat, braced against the back-leaning. Asami’s hand rested on his ass, stopping him from moving as he caressed the globe. A gasp was torn from the blonde’s lips as a loud smack rang out in the car, the sudden tightening of the muscles around the large rod drawing a grunt from the older man. The skin stung like mad, prickling as it turned bright red, sending a jolt up Akihito’s spine as the place was caressed almost apologetically. However, Asami was anything but sorry, letting his other hand come down on the other globe, making sure both mounds were equally red before moulding them together while biting his lips.

“’T hurts” Akihito panted and Asami glanced up, black meeting black, both gazes full of unadulterated lust and hunger as the older male smirked.

“Does it really? You’re tightening up around me so much, though” the raven said as his thumb pulled lightly on the rim of muscles stretched painfully around the base of his cock that was stuffing the blonde’s insides in a way that was pleasurable but not enough. Akihito trembled, biting his lip as both his anus was teased and his red skin caressed gently. He moaned loudly when the flat of the older man’s hand connected with his ass-cheek again, jolting him forward. He ducked his head down, digging his nails into the seat his collarbones were pressed up against. His hips moved automatically, trying to get as much friction as possible, the shallow push and pull caused by the hits landing on his ass not nearly enough to make him climax like he wanted, yet he wasn’t going to beg. Whine, however, was something impossible not to do as he called out the older man’s name, trying to move in the way he liked.

It didn’t take long before Asami’s patience snapped, sliding his hand underneath the blonde’s armpit onto his pectoral to pull the blonde back against his chest. Akihito’s head spun, from both the alcohol and the mixture of pleasure and pain, his ass and butt throbbing as Asami pushed his hips slightly higher. Akihito cried out as the older man thrust upwards, ramming into the blonde’s body as hard as he could. He sought for purchase, his hand slipping in the condensation coating the window while his other hand came around to fight the sweat-damp onyx locks. His head fell back onto the raven’s shoulder with daze eyes and parted lips, saliva slipping from the corners as his spine arched. He could hear Asami grunt against his neck, but it was no louder than the wet smack of skin meeting skin and the blonde’s moans of pleasure that grew louder the harder and faster the crime-lord rammed into him. It didn’t take long before Akihito found his orgasm, climaxing with a chocked gasp around the older man’s name. He keened through his clenched jaw at the feeling of something wet spilling on his inner walls, tightening his grip on the raven’s locks at the odd feeling.

“Y-you promised -ah- notta come inside” Akihito said, reaching down between his legs to touch the place where they were connected, his fingers parting around the base of the older man’s erection to feel his seed trickle past the rim off muscles.

“It’s leaking out” the blonde said dazed as his body twitched in the aftershocks of his orgasm, his head rolling forward. Asami’s cock throbbed inside the blonde’s tunnel.

“A whole lot more is going to leak out. I’m not finished with you yet” the crime-lord said and Akihito looked over his shoulder.

“Give me a break. My ass hurts. I can’t handle anymore” he said, his body still twitching as he reached for the waistband of his jeans, moving his foot back into it clumsily, feeling the older man’s girth shift inside of him.

“Nonsense. You love it” Asami said, almost sounding like he was purring but dead-set on proving his statement. He was right, though. Akihito loved it, no matter how much he pretended not to. If he really hated it, he wouldn’t follow the raven up to what seemed to be a penthouse, something he had no eye for as the older male ended up having his way with him until he practically passed out, too exhausted to keep his eyes open. However, while he was the first to fall asleep in an unfamiliar bed, he was gone before the raven woke back up, forced to endure a wobbly walk of shame with the mother of all hang-overs and a throbbing lower half that prevented him from sitting down that morning, much to his family’s confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	9. Gladiolus.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladiolus ;; Infatuation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope it's not a waste of time!

The sound of wood clattering together was loud in the otherwise silent dojo attached to the shrine. Because it was a closed practice between the priests working at the shrine and they were at the end of their time in the dojo, they had decided on a little competition that was different than the official matches. Instead of following both time and point rules, they were sparring until one of them gave up, handling bokken instead of shinai. Basically, they were playing samurai like little kids but with the power, speed and skill of black belt holders. While most people would expect Akihito to come up with this idea, it had definitely been Hidenori who had started the tradition a couple years ago. Well, judging by the bets that were placed on every fight, nobody really cared for who started, but for who won. The most entertaining and interesting fight was always the last one, when the winner went up against the big boss.

Most of the time, this was Akihito, leading to two of the most competitive people in the dojo facing off.

“You think you’ll be able to keep up, boy?” Hidenori asked, smirking at his grandson as their arms trembled, pushing against each other. Akihito scoffed in response, shifting his foot slightly, too caught up in the adrenaline of a work-out to notice the by-standers.

“I’m more worried about you breaking a hip, old man” the blonde said, throwing all respect in the wind as he pushed his grandfather back. Honestly, one would think people got weaker as they aged, but the older male just seemed to get stronger and more vicious, perfectly blocking the young mother’s attack even when Akihito gave him not time to regain his balance, stopping the upwards slash that had been aimed for his ribs.

“If this is all you’ve got, you’ll end up breaking something before I do, kiddo” Hidenori provoked his grandson, placing the flat of his foot against the breastplate covering the blonde’s torso, pushing him a few steps back. Akihito stepped to the side to avoid the down-ward slash of his grandfather’s, placing his foot on top of the bokken, moving his elbow towards his grandfather’s nose. An arm wedged itself in between his own, grabbing the elbow furthers away from the older man’s face to pulled the blonde off balance, hoping he would stumble across the wooden sword locked against the ground. However, even if he stumbled, Akihito turned around, swinging out the sword in his hand to hold back his grandfather’s attack. He placed both hands on the hilt again, stepping back a few paces as Hidenori’s attacks followed in quick succession, yet he successfully managed to block them all.

Knowing his grandfather wasn’t going to show him any opening, the blonde shifted his footing slightly, standing his ground while tilting his sword to let Hidenori’s attack slide past it, the tip of his bokken hitting his grandfather’s shoulder bellow his collarbone as the blunt edge the other weapon brush his own shoulder. However, he knew better than to think his grandfather would admit defeat with just that, moving his head aside and down as the sore loser swung his sword out sideways, intent to hit his neck if he hadn’t dodged. The palm slamming hard into his solar plexus hit the air from his lungs and made him stumble back again, yet it wasn’t entirely unexpected either. He did nothing more than take a deep breath to assure himself that he could still breath before pushing off to attack. Hidenori was forced back by the blonde’s strikes, barely managing to misdirect the course of Akihito’s attack away from his neck, the stabbing motion bringing the young man closer to his grandfather.

“You’ve trained with that fellow lately, haven’t you?” Hidenori noticed and Akihito smirked.

“Can’t refuse when he offers, right? He can’t stand the idea of someone with his face being bad at sword-fighting and I don’t want to embarrass him” he answered and the older man scoffed before turning, using his spin to put some extra power behind the hit he managed to land on the blonde’s ribs, pushing him back again.

“You just suck at losing” the older man said and Akihito coughed discretely to hide the fact that the hit had been hard enough to bruise.

“That makes two of us” the blonde said before straightening back up, attacking his grandfather head on when the man came at him. The other priests cheered on whoever they had betted as their bokken connected in quick succession for a series of attacks, both males switching smoothly from defence to offence without letting each other breath or find an opening. The duo ended up fighting for nearly ten minutes before a final swing was performed simultaneously. Akihito felt the point of bokken dig slightly into his grandfather’s neck while the pressure of the older man’s sword against his own neck caused the skin to see red as they looked over at the other priests.

“And?!” they called out in unison, both out of breath with heaving chests and their shitagi slightly askew, seeing one part of the priests grimace as if they where in pain while the others were grinning in victory.

“Akihito was faster” they announced and Akihito had jumped in the air with a cheer even before he could stop himself from doing so, hearing grandfather make a sound that was completely opposite of his own. The omega couldn’t resist doing a victory dance, joined by the priests that had betted on him and were now free from cleaning the courtyard.

“Have fun cleaning the dojo, Ojii-sama” Akihito said with a wide grin at his grandfather who huffed at him, clearly displeased with his loss.

“Don’t get cocky ‘cause you have one win more. You’ll lose next time and then it’ll be your turn to clean the dojo” he said as he removed the white cloth from his head.

“Besides, you’ve got a visitor” he added with a jerk of his thumb at the entrance of the dojo, making Akihito look over in the direction.

“Geh” the blonde exclaimed, his smile falling off his face as he saw a familiar figure he had been somewhat avoiding. To be honest, he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to face Asami after what had happened last time. Once again, he had gotten drunk and had slept with the raven. He had given in to his desires, just like he had done last time, and had allowed the older man to bed him. And regardless of how much he disliked to admit it, it had been better than he remembered from the first time, which only made things more difficult for Akihito. Like, how was he supposed to resist someone like that? Luckily, this time, he had remembered to take the morning after pill before anything could settle. He wasn’t as naïve as to think that it was impossible to get pregnant from just once, like he had been the first time they had slept together. Besides, that night had been more than just once. It was as if the raven had been trying to stuff him full and knock him up again. As if the man was unconsciously trying to tie the blonde down or mark as his own.

Akihito shook the thought out of his mind, scolding himself for looking too much into it. Asami just disliked the constricting feeling of a condom, that was all. There was no reason for the crime-lord to feel so possessively about the blonde just because they had sex or because they had a son together. They were compatible in bed, extremely so, but that meant nothing more than that. While the text messages that Asami was sending him daily were nearly always flirty, it didn’t imply anything else. It was Akihito himself who was reading too much into it, a part of him that regretfully hoped even when he tried to suppress it. He hated the part of himself that was undeniably attracted to the man.

“What are you doing here, Asami?” Akihito asked as he reached up to take the tenugui off his head, pushing back his sweat-damp hair with the other hand while approaching the older man.

“I’m here to pick you up for a date” the raven said, making the blonde falter in his step, his eyes widening in surprise that bordered shock.

“I’m taking you and our son out for a game of bowling and dinner” Asami said with a smiled that looked as if he was extremely pleased with himself as Akihito blinked at him before shaking his head slightly in confusion.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it” the blonde said and the older man hummed thoughtfully, though he seemed a little confused.

“He must not have told you then” he said and but wasn’t undeterred by the situation at all.

“It matters not. I’ll wait here until you’re ready so we can go pick Yurihiko up from school. Unless you want to go dressed like that” Asami said and Akihito stared at him, completely thrown off guard.

“Like I said, this is the first I’ve heard of it! Don’t expect me to go ‘ah, yeah, I’ll just get ready then’. Does Hiko even know about this?” the blonde asked and Asami hummed.

“Of course he does. He was the one who told me he wanted to go bowling” he said and Akihito jerked his head in confusion.

“How? When did you two meet to discuss this?” he asked and the raven raised an eyebrow.

“Through the exchange diary. Now, are you going to change or are we leaving like this?” he asked and Akihito didn’t have the time to wrap his head around it all, telling the older man to wait for ten minutes before running off to the house. Since when did his son have an exchange diary with his father behind his back?! What the hell were they even writing in it? He would need to ask Yurihiko about this later, when it was just the two of them. For now, he needed to survive sitting with Asami alone in a car, remembering what had happened last time they had been in this situation. It was obvious from the flush on his face and the distance he was placing between himself and the raven, that he was thinking about their last meeting. And judging from the smirk on the older man’s face as he watched the blonde from the corner of his eye, he could guess what was going on in the younger male’s thoughts.

“Are you afraid I might do something to you, Akihito?” Asami asked and the young mother tensed up, his shoulders drawing up unconsciously as he turned his head slightly towards the raven.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not drunk like last time” he said and the alpha hummed as he turned his head towards the blonde.

“I got the feeling you were rather sober for most part” he pointed out and Akihito grimaced as he felt his cheeks grown hotter.

“Shut up. Nothing’s going to happen” he said as he turned his face away, tensing up even more when he heard the creaking of the leather seats as the older man shifted closer towards him, placing his finger underneath the blonde’s chin. Akihito swallowed thickly as he felt his head being turned, seeing the raven’s face closer than he had expected, a smirk playing on his lips as his eyes trailed down to the blonde’s mouth.

“How can you say that when you look like you’re expecting me to do something?” he asked before his eyes trailed up again, meeting the blonde’s gaze.

“But you’re right, I was planning on doing something” the raven said and Akihito completely forgot to resist when the older man’s lips pressed against his own. His eyelids fluttered before they closed, moulding his lips with the alpha’s as if he had been put in a trance by both the older man’s actions, voice and his own thoughts. His lips parted on the silent request of the raven, allowing the crime-lord’s tongue to enter his cavern as he felt the man grab the hollow of his knee, pulling him closer while turning him so his back was resting against the door. Akihito raised his hands, curling them around the raven’s nape as he arched his spine toward the older man. The chill that ran down his spine had nothing to do with the heat the sensation of the kiss provoked from him, making his eyes snap open at the bloody sight above Asami’s shoulder. The priest’s breath got stuck in his throat as he finally found the rationality to push the older man away, placing the back of the hand not on the raven’s shoulder against his mouth as he turned his face away.

“You’re taking this too far, bastard” he said, his accusation confirmed by his heaving chest and the flush reaching the tips of his ears. Asami smirked smugly as he straightened up, his hands leaving the blonde’s leg and hip.

“The look in your eyes says the opposite, but I must admit that I like this dishonest stubbornness about you” he said and Akihito couldn’t resist sending a look at the lost spirit that had shown up next to the raven, croaky zombie-like sounds leaving his gaping lips as he moved them in an attempt to talk but unable to produce any actual words. The fact that he was already capable of doing this much didn’t sit well with Akihito, but he averted his attention before his distraction could get noticed by either the spirit or the person he was haunting.

“Looks like we’re here” Asami said, looking out of the tinted window as the long car stopped in front of Yurihiko’s school. Akihito couldn’t get out of the car any quicker, almost stumbling out of it without waiting for the older man. The other mothers waiting at the gates looked up in surprise, but smiled as soon as they recognized the blonde, already used to seeing hint of the priest’s clumsiness. Their eyes widened in awe as their gazes landed on the raven stepping up behind the blonde, who steadfastly looked away with a grimace, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. Asami, however, had no eyes for them, looking down at the back of Akihito’s head with a little smile that turned smug as he saw how self-conscious the blonde was, standing there with him.

It seemed to take hours before the bell rang, signalling the end of the torture the tiny students had to go through every day. As always, Yurihiko was the first one to be outside, running away as if the devil himself was chasing him. However, as soon as his eyes landed on the two figures waiting for him, his face brightened up in a wide grin. His pace that had faltered picked up again, even faster than before.

“Mom! Asami-san!” Yurihiko called out, launching himself towards the blonde who automatically caught his son, not even startled by the greeting as the blonde fake-cried while wrapping his legs around the older blonde’s waist. It was pretty obvious that he would completely ignore the spirit standing behind the raven, prioritizing his act.

“Boohoo, it was so hard! Hours and hours of nagging! The sensei that scolded me because I was extorting food from bullies” he cried into his mother’s neck before lifting his head, his expression completely serious.

“About that, Higuchi-sensei wants to talk to you about that. Apparently, I’m not supposed to help my kohai get their lunch back after the bullies stole it from them” he said and Akihito sighed.

“I’m sure he’ll contact me later about that, but that makes it two subjects we’re going to need to talk about. The first one being the exchange diary you’re exchanging behind my back” he said and Yurihiko gave him a confused look.

“Eh? I didn’t tell you? I must have forgotten” he said and Akihito shook his head with a soft sigh before turning away.

“I don’t mind that you exchange a diary, but at least warn me if you’re going to do something like this” he said as the alpha’s driver held open the car-door for them. Akihito placed his son back on the ground so he could get in first.

“Are you mad?” Yurihiko asked as he glanced back at his mother, waiting to get in the car until he got his answer. He looked somewhat guilty, making the older blonde huff a smile as he crouched down, ruffling up his son’s messy mop of hair.

“Of course not. I was just thrown off guard. I was in the middle of kendo practice when this guy showed up. I’d like to have a little more time to prepare next time” Akihito said and Yurihiko’s eyes widened, turning to the raven standing behind them.

“You saw mom practicing kendo?! He’s good, right!” he said, extremely proud about his mother’s skill with a sword, making Asami smile a tiny smile.

“Surprisingly, he was. Better than I expected” he said and Akihito looked up at him, feeling strangely embarrassed to hear the man compliment his swordsmanship. Scratching the back of his head, he straightened up again.

“Weren’t we supposed to go somewhere?” he asked and Yurihiko chuckled.

“Mom, do you always get embarrassed so easily, or is it just with him?” he asked and Akihito felt his cheeks burn even hotter.

“Get in, you little monkey” he said, all but shoving his son in the backseat while steadfastly refusing to meet the crime-lord’s gaze underneath a raised eyebrow. As soon as they were seated in the car, Yurihiko shifted until he was seated in between the two adults, happily talking about his day at school until he decided he had enough if it, switching the subject to the bowling they were going to.

“Why bowling though?” Akihito asked and the father son duo looked at him. The older blonde rested his cheek on his fist that was supported by his elbow on the window-sill, looking at his son.

“Be honest, do you really see Asami playing bowling?” he asked and Yurhiko scoffed amused.

“That’s exactly why. How funny would it be to see that stuck-up guy drag the stick out of his ass to play bowling with the commoners?” he asked and Akihito chortled as Asami directed his attention to the young blonde, ignoring the look of the bespectacled driver through the rear-view-mirror.

“So that’s what you see me as? A stuck-up rich guy with a stick up his ass?” he asked and Yurihiko looked up at him.

“Well, it’s not far from the truth, is it? You’re a man, you’ve got alpha written all over you, you’re rich and you get driven around like some kind of king” he said before tilting his head, his gaze shifting shortly towards the spirits on the other side of the limousine.

“Or maybe villain would be a better word to describe you?” he asked and all three the adults, including the driver, tensed up.

“Yurihiko” Akihito said sharply and his son turned to him, an innocent expression on his face.

“Come on, mom. He’s got that look in his eye. Besides, didn’t uncle Kou say that that was just your type? Hot and dangerous” Yurihiko said and Akihito’s face once again turned red, biting his lip as he looked away with a glare.

“I’m going to kill Kou” he said and Yurihiko huffed a laugh, leaning into his mother’s side.

“As if that’ll help” he said amused and Akihito shook his head in fond amusement, wrapping his arm around the young blonde.

“We have arrived, sir” the bespectacled driver announced, the car coming to a stop right in front of the entrance of the bowling alley. Yurihiko didn’t even wait for anyone to move, jumping over his mother’s lap, leaving his school-bag behind inside the car as he got out. Akihito followed after him just as quick, grabbing a hold of the back of his son’s collar to stop him from going off on his own.

“Calm down, little monkey. You’ll have enough time to burn up your energy inside” the priest said but the young blonde wasn’t calming down yet. When the car-door closed behind them, Akihito let go of the child’s collar, seeing him race towards the doors.

“That’s glass!” Akihito called out after him, stepping forward while hoping his son wouldn’t shatter the doors in his attempt to get inside as soon as soon as possible. He could practically feel Asami step up next to him, making him paused at the proximity that was a little too close to comfortably walk next to each other.

“So, I’m your type, huh” the raven said and Akihito’s shoulders tensed, looking up at the man’s smug smirk.

“I think after everything that’s happened between us, you already know that you are” the blonde said before stepping forward, intent on catching up with his son before he could break something. God knew it wouldn’t take even five minutes before something did. Not entirely unexpected, Akihito found his son transfixed on the crane game that stood at the entrance, filled with several different teddy bears.

“Mo~om!” Yurihiko sang and Akihito placed his hands on top of his son’s shoulders, steering him away from the machine.

“No. We’re not here for that. Unless you don’t want to bowl? Then we can just go home, if that’s what you want” he said and the young blonde’s head shot up.

“No, it’s alright! I want to bowl! I want to find something that guy isn’t good at” Yurihiko exclaimed and Akihito scoffed as he straightened up.

“Tell me when you’ve found what it is, would you” he said and heard a hum next to him.

“I’d say I’m extremely bad at giving up when I want something” Asami said, giving the older blonde a pointed look from the corner of his eyes, making Akihito tense up and avert his gaze. Honestly, there truly had to be something wrong with him to be so self-conscious from just one look, even when that one look practically felt like a physical touch on his skin, directly underneath his clothes. It had to be forbidden for one person to have so much of an affect on another without even doing anything. This wasn’t a god-damned erotic romance novel like the ones his grandmother read.

“Shoesize?” the severely underpaid student behind the counter asked lazily as the trio stepped up in front of him. Akihito relayed both his own size and his son’s before stepping aside to allow Asami to do the same. At the sight of the intimidating alpha, the teenager straightened up, swallowing thickly as he was unable to meet the older man’s gaze as he turned away to retrieve the shoes.

“That’s convenient” Yurihiko said dryly and Asami ruffled up his messy mop of light blonde hair.

“You have my genes. You’ll be fine” he assured the young child and Akihito huffed as he looked away.

“That’s what I’m worried about” he muttered and the father-son duo turned to him with a hum. Akihito responded with the same questioning hum as he looked at them, pretending he hadn’t said anything and that it was just their imagination. He perked up again as the teen returned with their rental shoes, accepting them with a smile before handing the smallest pair to his son while Asami took his own. After giving up their names, they made their way to their appointed lane, sitting down on the chairs to change their shoes. Akihito turned towards his son to help him, only to see Asami kneeling in front of the young blonde to do what he had intended to do. The priest left it to the older man, standing up to go pick out his own ball, looking down when Yurihiko stepped up next to him, on the opposite side of Asami. Akihito made sure his son picked the lightest ball while he was unsurprised by the 16 pound ball the alpha picked, though the ball he picked was only three pounds lighter.

“Alright, little monkey, you’re up first” Akihito said as he placed his ball on the return rack, looking at his son as he walked up towards the lane they had rented. Thankfully, Asami had remembered to request the sides to be turned up which allowed the young blonde to throw the ball from between his legs without having to worry about landing in the gutter each time. Of course, this made the game too easy for the two adults, but that was besides the point of their outing. They were at the bowling alley because Yurihiko wanted do something like a normal family, thus Asami allowed the two blondes to make fun of him and the way he played because they both knew that as soon as the raven entered the triple digit score, they would lose anyway. Their strategy of throwing the older man off his game by trying to embarrass him obviously failed, but that didn’t matter to Yurihiko, who started laughing even more when the same tactic worked hook, line and sinker with his mother.

“How? How did I lose against my own son who wouldn’t have been able to stay out of the gutter if it’s been for those borders?” Akihito asked no-one in particular, making his son laugh harder before something pushed softly against the back of his attention, making both blondes look up at the raven behind them, holding up two rilakkuma plushies, both dressed in a different suit.

“Consolation-price for the losers” Asami said, holding out the light grey tiger costume dressed bear to Yurihiko and the orange one to Akihito. While the young blonde was eager to accept the plush, the priest was a bit more hesitant as he reached out for the stuffed animal, wondering if Asami had really been playing that stupid crane game.

“What’s wrong, Akihito? Did you fall for me?” Asami asked, holding on to the plush so the blonde had to look at him and not the stuffed animal.

“That- Of course not! Shut up” Akihito stuttered before denying a bit too vehemently, earning a smug, knowing smirk from the older man who let go of the plush.

“You know, that’s the first time I’ve heard you call mom by his name instead of his last name” Yurihiko said, reminding the two adults that he was close enough to hear them, making them look down at him.

“You should keep doing that. It sounds so awkward if you keep calling him Takaba” the young blonde said and Asami smiled at him.

“Then I will keep doing that” he said before turning to the older blonde who was pointedly avoiding his gaze.

“The truth comes from a child’s mouth and I can’t deny a request from our son, can I, Akihito?” the raven asked and Akihito clicked with his tongue.

“You’re milking this out, Asami” he said and felt the older man’s hand land on his lower back in a soft but very present touch.

“I’ll get the car so we can move on to the restaurant to eat” the crime-lord said before he stepped forward behind the priest.

“Hell yeah!” Yurihiko cheered at the prospect of food, pumping his fist into the air while pressing the plush bear against his chest with the other.

“Language!” Akihito warned, shivering when the hand on his back lowered until the older man’s fingertips trailed over the curve of his ass before falling away. Damn the effect the alpha had on him.

“Hmm? Why is that guy?” Yurihiko started in confusion, looking at the space next to him that was occupied by something only they could see. Something neither of them wanted to see.

[Kill.]

The one word uttered in a cracking voice had the blood in Akihito’s veins freeze, his spine tensing as a vile shiver ran up it. It was unlike the shiver he usually got around spirits, almost feeling like a touch that snuck up his back towards his neck. He could practically feel the frozen, muddy fingers close around his throat as his stomach turned and his lungs seemingly filled themselves with mucky, dirty water. The best way to describe the sensations the spirit called up in him was swampy and utterly disgusting.

“Mom” Yurihiko said in a scared, whiney tone as he reached out to take his mother’s hand, who pulled him closer, away from the spirit. As if timed, a familiar presence arrived, ready to elbow the tortured spirit in the nose, effectively making his disappear as Akihito brushed his son’s hair back where his face was buried in the priest’s abdomen.

“It’s alright, little monkey. I’ll take care of it. I promise” the older blonde said, knowing that now, he had no other choice. He needed to do something about that spirit before he learned how to talk more, enough to spill every secret to his son to scare him. Seeing ghosts or not, he was still too young to hear about how his father tortured people to death, not to mention that the spirit seemed like the kind of person to thicken the details. Luckily, they still had Asami’s father there to hold the other spirit back, but trouble never came alone.

[You’ll have to take care of a lot more, boy. Fei-long is moving closer towards Tokyo and That son of mine has no intention of warning you about that stalker.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	10. Hyacinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyacinth ;; Asking for forgiveness. Deep regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs.  
> I hope you like it :)

“Is that all you were hiding from me, Kirishima?” Asami asked, looking at the thin maps in front of him while resting his fingers against his forehead. There was a light throb underneath his skull as he could practically feel a head-ache set in from looking at tiny letters and numbers for better part of his day. He should be used to it by now, doing the exact same work on a daily basis for the past decade, but it seemed like he was having a bad day. Had he drank too much the evening before? Were his skipped meals finally catching up to him? Maybe his lack of sleep?

“Yes, sir” Kirishima responded before pushing his glasses up, looking completely free of guilt despite the work he had hidden from his boss. Asami turned his attention from his subordinate and guard to the files on his desk before closing his eyes with a sigh.

“I need to recharge my batteries after this” he said and the bespectacled man lowered his head.

“I will arrange a car to drive you to the shrine as soon as you’ve finished work, sir” he said and Asami shook his head.

“No, I will contact Akihito myself to go out for dinner. Just have the car ready to go pick them up” he said and the bespectacled man gave another nod. Honestly, things were quite busy around the crime-lord for the past few week and he believed he deserved a little break. While his legal business was flourishing slowly but surely, his underground dealings were getting strained. One of his man had gotten stabbed a little while back before he was killed in the hospital by Fei-long’s men. Asami regretted being too late by only a fraction, but it wasn’t anything he could help at this point. He couldn’t turn back time even if he wanted to.

However, this was not something he wasn’t used to. Having a hand in illegal business was dangerous for everyone, regardless of their position and Asami practically grew up in that society. If it had been only that, he would have been fine. He could talk about business problems with Kirishima and Suoh. Unfortunately, the problems that really tired him out were ones that he couldn’t easily speak of because he didn’t really have an explanation for them either. At least not one that sounded logical enough to have a discussion about. Honestly, how was he supposed to explain something he had no idea how it happened?

It had started small at first, insignificant. Finding his newspaper on the ground when he remembered placing it on dining-room table. Waking up to a black TV screen when he couldn’t recall turning it off before dozing off in his sofa. His phone-alarm that was snoozed without being touched, allowing him to sleep in after working overtime without even consciously deciding to. Those were all small things he could deal with, explaining it with plausible excuses. Placing the newspaper too close to the edge on the edge of the table, turning the TV off when he was half-asleep, touching his phone without consciously waking up. With that in mind, it was easy to brush those little things off. However, a mug shifting on top of the counter, a mirror that cracked when he looked into it and a door that closed by itself without him being anywhere near it was not something he could just explain even if he wanted to. Not for lack of trying, hence the reason for his lack of sleep.

Or maybe the lack of sleep was the cause of it, his mind playing tricks on him in order to get him to go to sleep.

“Hm?” Kirishima hummed in confusion as he fished his phone out of his pocket, holding the device against his ear to accept the incoming call. Asami looked up at him, resting his chin on his loosely curled fist as he waited for the raven to explain what was behind the frown on his face. Dark eyes met his gaze through spectacles before Kirishima moved the speaker away from his mouth.

“Sir, a young child claiming to be Yurihiko-sama has been caught on the second floor. It seems he broke in through the back entrance” he informed and Asami regarded him before straightening up.

“Claims to be? There is no-one but you and Suoh who knows about him” he said and Kirishima pushed up his glasses.

“I’m aware, but I don’t know any six year old who is capable of getting his hands on the key to the backdoor” he pointed out and Asami couldn’t exactly deny that. Only a select few staff members of the Sion company had a key to that back-door. It was hardly possible for any six year old to pick out one of those specific staff members, not to mention swipe the key from them without them noticing.

“Let’s go see what the commotion is about then” Asami said, partly just to get away from his paperwork for a little while. Judging by the look on Kirishima’s face, the bespectacled man saw through him, but accepted it none the less, telling the other person on the line to keep the child there. Getting from the top floor to the second floor was quick thanks to the use of the elevator, yet as soon as they stepped out, they could hear the commotion that was being made a bit further. The crime-lord’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of his son being held in place by a hand wrapped around both of his wrists, held high above his head until his toes barely touched the ground. Both his subordinate and the young blonde looked up when Kirishima spoke up.

“Release him immediately!” the bespectacled man said urgently as he stepped forward, the suit-clad brunet immediately listening to the order.

“What are you doing here, Yurihiko?” Asami asked as the blonde was released, immediately launching himself towards the older man to grab a hold of his jacket, tugging on it as he looked up at his father with wide, fearful eyes.

“Mom got kidnapped! JiiJii told me to come here! I don’t know what happened or where mom is! He just disappeared and didn’t come to pick me up even though he promised me we’d got running today and he’s never late!” Yurihiko rattled off, much too fast for Asami to make sense of it. He placed his hand on top of the little blonde’s head to stop him from continuing to waste his breath.

“Alright, let’s take this to my office so you can calm down” the raven suggested and Yurihiko sniffled before nodding in agreement. Asami turned to his right hand, ignoring his subordinate who looked surprised and partly guilty as he connected the dots.

“Take care of this and tell Suoh to bring up some juice for Yurihiko” the crime-lord said and Kirishima lowered his head in a nod. Asami turned away from his men, leading his son towards the elevator before pressing on the button of the highest floor.

“I didn’t know there was an elevator. I couldn’t find it” Yurihiko said and Asami looked down at him.

“About that, how did you manage to get inside in the first place? How did you manage to get your hands on a key?” he asked and Yurihiko sniffled again.

“For a door like that, I don’t need a key. All I need is this” the little blonde said, raising his leg to pull down his sock, showing a hair-elastic with a couple of bobby pins stuck on it.

“You picked the lock? Who taught you that?” he asked and Yurihiko shook his head.

“Nobody did. I just saw mom do it a couple of times” he said, pulling his sock back up. Asami wasn’t sure if that was praise-worthy or worrying.

“Why do you keep it around your ankle and not your wrist?” Asami asked curious as the elevator stopped, the doors sliding open on the required floor.

“Because wrists always get checked when they’re being tied up. Nobody expects someone to be stupid enough to keep bobby pins on their ankle” the young blonde explained, looking somewhat uneasy about exiting the elevator.

“It’s alright. This floor only has my and Kirishima’s office on it” Asami said, looking back at his son to see him step outside the elevator cart. The raven opened the left one of the two doors, allowing Yurihiko to enter the office first before closing the door behind himself.

“Huge” the young blonde commented and Asami placed his hand in his nape, giving it a soft squeeze to get his attention enough to jerk his head lightly to the two benches that stood on each side of a low black coffee table. The raven allowed his son to take a seat first before sitting down across from him while placing his ashtray inside the drawer of the table, out of sight.

“So, why don’t you tell me again why you are here, but this time a little slower so I can understand you?” Asami suggested as he looked up at his son, resting his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together. He couldn’t help but notice how the young blonde’s hands wrung together, hard enough to hear some of the bones pop from the force while his legs kicked back and forth restlessly.

“Mom was kidnapped” he said before averting his eyes, looking at the grand wooden desk before looking at the table in between them.

“I don’t know why or by who, but I just know that he was kidnapped” he said and Asami hummed, not yet drawing his conclusions.

“And why do you think that?” he asked and Yurihiko pulled his shoulders up.

“He wasn’t there to pick me up from school, which never happens” he answered and Asami resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at his son.

“Isn’t it possible that he was just too late or that something came up?” he asked, trying to find a reason for Akihito’s absence that would calm the young blonde down. However, it only had the opposite effect.

“No! Mom is never too late! Not once! And if something came up, Jiijii or Baba would come pick me up instead!” Yurihiko exclaimed, leaning so far forward, he nearly fell off the sofa.

“Jii-chan told me he was kidnapped at the school-gates and he told me to come to you because you would know what to do! He even told me the name of who did it, but I can’t pronounce it!” he said and Asami reached forward to touch the blonde’s shoulder to stop him from losing his balance.

“Calm down” he implored the young blonde, looking up when there were three soft knocks on the door of his office, feeling Yurihiko jump in surprise.

“Enter” Asami said, seeing the door open to reveal Suoh, holding up a tray with a cup of what the raven presumed to be coffee, a glass of juice and a plate of fruit. Yurihiko looked intimidated by the sheer size of the raven’s subordinate as the short-haired blonde placed the tray down on the table.

“Yurihiko, what can you remember from the name?” the crime-lord asked as he picked up his cup of coffee. Yurihiko blinked as he turning his attention back to his father, away from the giant that dwarfed him. His gaze rested on a point above the raven’s shoulder for a second before meeting his gaze.

“It sounds like Liu Feilong” the young blonde said and Asami tensed while Suoh’s grip tightened on the tray in his hands. Well, if that wasn’t a familiar name.

“Suoh, tell Kirishima to contact Yoh about this and set up a guard detail for Yurihiko. I want eyes on him at all times, even inside this place” Asami said and Suoh lowered his head in a bow while Yurihiko looked from one adult to the other in confusion.

“What’s happening? Do you know who kidnapped mom? What’s about this guard-detail?” he asked, a hint of fear entering his voice again and Asami looked at him, almost instantly feeling guilty. He had made a promise to Akihito that their son wouldn’t get involved in his business in any way, yet here they were. Was this how his father felt whenever Asami had been approached by his business associates?

“I’m sorry you got involved in this, Yurihiko. That was never my intention” Asami said and the blonde’s attention focussed on him with wide eyes that seemed to form a hand around the raven’s torso, slowly squeezing.

“I know who kidnapped your mother and I promise you that I will get him back, without fail. However, for the time being, I don’t want you to be alone or unguarded. Fei-long is a dangerous man and he has men everywhere” he said and the blonde blinked at him again, making him tighten his grip on his hands that were clasped together in between his knees.

“That means I’m a target too, right?” Yurihiko asked and Asami regarded him.

“Yes. That’s why I would also suggest that you move in with me for the time being” he said and the blonde hummed thoughtfully.

“So that you can keep an eye on me?” he asked and the raven nodded.

“If you don’t want to because you’re afraid of me, I won’t ask again” he said and Yurihiko shook his head.

“I’ve known since the beginning that you were dangerous and I’m not afraid of you. Maybe I’m like mom in that way” he said and then seemed to square his shoulders in determination.

“Alright, I’ll live with you. That way, Jiijii and Baba won’t be targeted either” he said before reaching out for one of the apple bunnies. He studied the piece of fruit before looking up at the blonde who was standing at the table next to them, tapping away on his phone.

“Did you make these?” the blonde asked and Suoh looked up to see what the young child meant before nodding in confirmation.

“They’re cute” the young blonde said as he looked back at the apple piece in his hand. The giant blonde tapped the young blonde on the shoulder while digging into his pocket, pulling something out as Yurihiko looked up with a hum, his mouth full with apple. As he noticed the older male wanted to give him something, he held out his hand with his palm up, a wrapped candy falling into it before Suoh took his leave with a bow. Yurihiko looked surprised at his hand before looking at the door behind him.

“What? That was surprisingly cute” he said and Asami stood up.

“The fact that he gave you some of his candy means that he likes you” the raven said and Yurihiko looked at him.

“Really? You think he’d let me use him as a jungle gym? I might be as tall as the Tokyo tower if I stand on his shoulders” he said and Asami couldn’t help but scoff in amusement even when his thoughts were running a mile an hour. To be honest, the last thing he had expected to happen when he was first made aware of someone pretending to be his son, was to actually see his son in complete distress, enough to cling to his jacket. He had wondered who had told the young boy about where he worked, because he was pretty sure that Akihito would never, not knowing whether or not Asami did any underground business in his tower. But when the little blonde started explaining what had happened, Asami no longer cared about who told his son where to find him but was instead glad that they had.

While it was still unconfirmed, Asami wouldn’t be surprised if Fei-long did indeed kidnap Akihito. He wouldn’t be pleased, not in the slightest, but it wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest either. His relationship with the Chinese triade had always been rocky at best and had only grown worse because the triade had split up into two factions. One part, the smaller faction, was led by Fei-long’s older brother, Yanzhui and the largest part of the baishe was led by Fei-long, who didn’t even know the whole story and just held a grudge against the person he was convinced to be responsible for the death of his adoptive father. Or at least one of the living involved party of his father’s death, regardless of the fact that Asami hadn’t been the one to pull the trigger. A bit ungrounded in the crime-lord’s opinion, but he could deal with it. What he couldn’t deal with, was people touching the things that belonged to him.

While Akihito didn’t belong to him yet, that still didn’t give Fei-long the right to take him away. He just hoped for Fei-long that Akihito remained unharmed.

Yurihiko jumped at the sound of a knock on the door, making Asami look up. Judging from the little time that had passed since Suoh’s exit, the raven could guess that it was Kirishima that had arrived.

“Enter” he called out, his suspicion proven true as the bespectacled mob stepped inside the office, looking at the tablet in his hand as he closed the door behind him.

“I called Yoh and he confirmed that Takaba-san is in Fei-long’s possession. As far as he knows, they’re in a helicopter on their way to Hong Kong” the raven said as he moved towards the crime-lord, only then remembering Yurihiko’s presence in the room, looking as if he was internally scolding himself as he looked at the blonde with slightly widened eyes.

“Yes?” Asami asked, urging the raven to continue regardless of his son sitting in the sofa across from him, munching on the apple pieces. Kirishima looked somewhat unsure to talk about this subject in front of a child, but continued in a lower voice anyway.

“I also called up the CCTV footage of the store on the other side of the road from the school. It shows clearly an unlicensed vehicle stopping in front of the gates where Takaba-san is standing” Kirishima said as he held out the tablet to his boss. Asami accepted the device, looking at the footage that showed three men stepping out of the car and pointedly approaching the blonde who looked at them full of suspicion. It was clear by the way Akihito was holding himself on the footage that he suspected there was something extremely fishy about the men that slowly but surely surrounded him. They were having a conversation that seemed rather calm and civilized, opposite to the way the suit-clad men were closing in on the blonde who stood his ground with his arms deceptively loosely at his side.

Asami was incapable of hearing the conversation but he could guess someone had mentioned Yurihiko by the way the blonde suddenly paled and looked at the school-building next to him. He took a threatening step towards the man in front of him as the two next to him grabbed his arms to stop him. Asami could see that Akihito visibly had to hold himself back from lashing out, but he ended up calming down, saying something to the man in front of him that looked like he was closing a deal with them. The man pulled out a phone to call someone before holding the device out to the blonde who accepted it. The conversation didn’t take long but it ended with Akihito voluntarily stepping into the car.

“Looking at these footages, anyone who sees it can’t say that it’s really a kidnapping” Kirishima said and Asami hummed as he locked the screen of the tablet again, returning it to the bespectacled raven next to him.

“However, it wasn’t entirely voluntarily either. They made a deal and I can guess which one it was” Asami said, looking up at his son across from him.

“I would have made the same one” he said softer and Kirishima followed his line of gaze before returning his attention to his boss.

“What do we do now?” he asked and Asami stood up to walk towards his desk. He believed it was fine for Yurihiko to know by who his mother was kidnapped, but he didn’t want him involved with how they were getting him back.

“Tell Yoh to stick to Akihito as much as possible when they arrive. Inform our associates in Hong Kong about the situation, but only the ones we really trust. Fei-long will soon call me with his demands to get Akihito back. Depending on those, we’ll continue planning then, to see if it would be easier to get him back by force or by following his demands. For now, I want to know what happens to Akihito from the second his toes touch Chinese soil, who he was with and what he was doing” he said and Kirishima nodded.

“I’ll go to the shrine in a while to pick up some of Yurihiko’s belongings so he can come stay with me for the time being. Suoh is already putting together a guard detail for him” Asami said and the bespectacled guard looked at him before pushing up his glasses.

“I’ll make a list and get supplies for everything a six-year-old needs and have it brought to your home, together with a nutritious dinner and breakfast for two” he said and the crime-lord gave a grateful nod.

“I’ll bring Yurihiko to school myself tomorrow and I’ll pick him up as well, but I want his guards to be around the school” he said and Kirishima frowned slightly.

“Is it a good idea to let him go to school in this situation?” he asked and Asami looked out of the window that took up his entire wall, giving a rather spectacular sight of Tokyo. Usually, he enjoyed watching the city, but he could find no pleasure in it at the moment.

“Akihito will be angry if I allowed Yurihiko to use this as excuse not to go” Asami said and the bespectacled mob unlocked his tablet again.

“I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m taking Yurihiko home now, so he can settle down a little. Tell Suoh to send the guys in the morning. I’ll drive myself home today” the crime-lord said and Kirishima nodded, not looking away from the search engine to look for the necessities for a six-year-old.

“Are you packing?” he asked and Asami hummed as he turned away.

“Always am” he responded before walking up to his son who was throwing back the juice in his glass as if he was emptying a tumbler glass.

“We’re going, right?” Yurihiko asked and Asami nodded, seeing the blonde hop out of the sofa. He brushed the invisible dust off his shorts before looking worriedly at the empty tray on the table.

“Leave it. Kirishima will clean it up” the raven said, placing his hand on the blonde’s mop of hair, leading him back towards the elevator to take it to the basement garage. He entered the code into the cabinet that secured the keys to the company owned cars, taking the one to the BMW in the back of the garage.

“Actually, do you have to be in a car-seat or something?” Asami asked as he looked at his son walked next to him as he unlocked the car from a distance.

“A booster, but Jiijii has one, so he’ll probably lend it to you, though we never really use it” Yurihiko answered and Asami gave a hum.

“Alright. For now, sit at the front until we get the booster” he said, opening the door for the little blonde and strapping him, making a mental note to tell Kirishima to buy a booster-seat as well, if he didn’t have it on the list yet. Asami felt a little safer with Yurihiko within arm’s reach as he drove to the shrine where his son lived with his mother and his great-grandparents. His great-grandmother immediately introduced herself as Sachiko, her bubbly personality exactly like Yurihiko had described her in their exchange journal. However, the glare he was receiving from Hidenori was completely different from how the little blonde had talked about him.

“You bring my grandson back, you hear? I don’t care where he lives, but I need him in this shrine and I need him to smile, alright?” he asked when they were alone in the entrance-hall, the older male refusing to let the crime-lord further inside. Not that Asami couldn’t understand him. He did wonder how the older man knew about Akihito being kidnapped, but he couldn’t really question it. Maybe the older priest knew more than he let on or had some pretty good guesses about who Asami was.

“Don’t worry. I need him to smile as well” the crime-lord said and Hidenori huffed somewhat pleased as he crossed his arms in front of his shitagi-clad chest.

“Next time you come here, you don’t come here to take my children away from me, but you come here with a good bottle of sake to share, am I making myself clear?” he asked and Asami regarded him before closing his eyes.

“I’m sure I have some daiginjo laying around” he said and looked up when Sachiko returned with Yurihiko and a backpack.

“Next time something happens, remember to contact us so we know what’s going on as well, okay? Don’t run off on your own and worry us, alright?” the older woman asked as she smiled at her great-grandson who responded with a sharp hum and a nod. The older lady straightened up before turning to the raven with that same smile on her face.

“Now, Asami-san, I’m counting on you to take care of my children. They’ve been through enough and I don’t want to see them get hurt any more than this” she said before opening her eyes, showing that they weren’t smiling.

“ _If something happens to either of them, I will drag you to the depths of hell to castrate you”_ she said, speaking in English, a language Yurihiko couldn’t understand but didn’t really need to to understand that his great-grandmother was threatening the raven. Asami was pretty sure he could see the image of a hanya mask behind the bubbly old lady, but he would take care of the two blonde even if they didn’t tell him to. However, he did wonder why the couple pressed on the fact that they needed Akihito and Yurihiko to be happy, but he guessed it had something to do with the absence of the grandparents.

“Alright, we’re here” Asami said as he opened the door to his penthouse, letting Yurihiko step inside first as he saw several pairs of dress-shoes that didn’t belong to him. He could tell they belonged to his men, if only because they had the decency to take their shoes off. He didn’t know any burglar with the manners to take off their shoes when they went to rob a house.

“You live here?” Yurihiko asked as he kicked off his shoes, looking around with wide eyes as they walked further into the house, into the domestic area.

“Can I check your toilet for money?” the little blonde asked and Asami frowned at him in confusion.

“Why would you check my toilet for that?” he asked and Yurihiko looked up at him, meeting his gaze with childish curiosity.

“To see if shitting money is meant literally” he said and Asami couldn’t stop himself from chortling, turning away to muffle it as he reached down to ruffle up the child’s mop of hair.

“Nobody shits money, Yurihiko. People work for it, some harder than others” he said and the young blonde looked in front of him when they entered the living room.

“Asami-sama, we have finished the room for Yurihiko-sama” Kirishima said as he stepped into the living-room behind the raven, no doubt having caught sight of his back to find him.

“Thank you, Kirishima” Asami said as Yurihiko looked away from the huge TV against the wall.

“My room?” he asked curiously and the two adults looked at him.

“Yes, your room. As long as you’re staying here, everything in this house is yours and you have your own room as well” Asami said as Kirishima took his leave with a bow, urging the other subordinated out of the house to leave the crime-lord alone with the young blonde. Asami gave his son a tour of the house, receiving an exaggeratedly excited reaction on every room of the house, even more so on the room that would be Yurihiko’s. It was as if the blonde couldn’t wait to sleep in it, yet when the time was there to actually sleep, it didn’t seem like he was capable of doing so. Asami looked up from his whiskey glass at the sound of sobs accompanied by the footsteps of bare feet on the wooden floor, seeing his son in the door-opening of the dimly lit room, using the sleeve of his pyjamas to wipe away the tears in his eyes. The sight nearly broke Asami’s heart as he stood up from the sofa, placing his half-empty glass on the table.

“What’s wrong, Yurihiko? Did something happen? Did you have a bad dream?” the raven asked, walking up to his son as he sniffled, desperate not to cry.

“I dun wanna sleep alone. I miss mom” the young blonde sniffled, looking exceptionally small compared to the way he had been acting ever since he had shown up at Sion. Asami realized that he might have expected too much of the young child, having taken his actions at face value instead of looking deeper than the bravery act he had been putting up. Of course he would be upset and scared. There was not one child who would be able to remain calm when their mother was kidnapped. Yurihiko was no different. Asami crouched in front of his son, placing a hand on top of his messy mop of hair to get his attention even when he lowered his head further to hide his tears.

“I’m not your mother, but do you want to sleep with me tonight?” the crime-lord asked, not even thinking about the fact that he had difficulties sleeping with someone else in his bed. Difficulties he strangely hadn’t noticed with Akihito. Yurihiko didn’t answer vocally, nodding his head up and down as he sniffed, reaching forward to wrap his arms around the raven’s neck when Asami lifted him off the ground. The young blonde hid his face in the crook of the alpha’s neck as the crime-lord walked to his bedroom, closing the door behind him with his foot before putting Yurihiko down on the edge of the bed. It was a strange sight to see the small child in his larger than life bed, but he couldn’t say that he minded it. However, he couldn’t deny that it was somewhat awkward on his part when he laid down on his side, feeling his son nuzzle into his arms, seeking comfort and human warmth, something Asami wasn’t used to giving. At least not to children.

Yet it was surprisingly easy to adjust to, propping his head up on his palm as he pulled the covers over his son’s shoulders before settling his hand on top of it as Yurihiko closed his eyes where his forehead rested against the raven’s T-shirt clad collarbones. The blonde’s frame was little against his own, his hand rubbing up and down his son’s back in what he hoped to be a soothing motion that he wished would stop the small sobs from wrecking the blonde’s body. It took a little while before Yurihiko quieted, his breathing evening out but with no intention of moving further away from the older male. Asami suspected his son to be asleep, until he spoke up in a voice he barely heard.

“Dad, you’ll find mom, right?” Yurihiko asked, making Asami’s eyes widen, his hand stopping it’s soothing motion. It felt as if his throat was closing up and a rug was pulled from underneath his feet. He hadn’t thought the blonde would ever call him dad and he wouldn’t have blamed his son for it. However, it felt unexplainable to be called dad for the first time and he was glad to be able to hear it, yet even that felt like an understatement. For the first time, he truly and whole-heartedly regretted not having been in Yurihiko’s life until now. He reached up to cup his son’s cheek while leaning down to press his lips against the blonde’s temple.

“I promise” Asami said and brushed the blonde strands away from the young child’s forehead, studying his face like he had been unable to do when he was actively jumping around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	11. Iris.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris ;; Hope. Faith. Valor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope you like it!

Akihito bit down in the pillow his face was buried in, his forehead sweaty and his brow pinched in pain. There was nothing pleasant about the foreign object ramming into him with enough force to knock the head-board of the bed into the wall behind it with each thrust. His wrists were seized by a vice-like grip, pulled back past his hips in a leverage to pull him back onto the cock that penetrated him so deeply that it hurt. But then again, it was fine like that, that it hurt. Pain was easier to deal with than pleasure. Pleasure would mean that he wanted this when he didn’t. Not a single bone in his body wanted to sleep with Fei-long, but he couldn’t deny that for some strange, hateful reason, he was into this. He was aware that it was just a natural reaction of his body that remembered Asami’s embrace, but that didn’t make it any more shameful to be reacting to someone who wasn’t Asami.

The first time Fei-long had taken him, Akihito’s entire body had protested, refusing to accept the harsh intrusion that the Chinese crime-lord had forced upon him, tearing him down there until the blood acted like lubricant. It had hurt so much that Akihito had silently cried himself to sleep after being carried back to his prison room, mortified keeping his head down as one of the servants had passed by with an ointment and a morning after pill. Pills he had been swallowing like they were tic tac ever since he had arrived in Hong Kong. Part of him was starting to worry about the state of his womb after this, if he would still be able to get pregnant or if the pills would leave any permanent damage. Not that Fei-long cared. No, all he cared about was getting off on the power-trip he got from fucking Asami’s mistress. But then again, this was better than being sold to a brothel to live off the drugs.

A particular vicious thrust tore a gasp from the blonde, not necessarily out of pain alone, but discomfort none the less. Akihito was quick to bite down on the pillow again, before he couldn’t control his voice any more. He knew that Fei-long got off on hearing him, often urging him to cry out and beg whenever his voice would slip past his control. But Akihito refused to give the Chinese man that satisfaction. He wasn’t there to cater to Fei-long’s needs and kink, but to protect his son from going through a kidnapping. If it hadn’t been for them threatening to take his son, he wouldn’t have been here in the first place.

When the men had first shown up at the school, Akihito had immediately noticed the lack of licence-plate and had pulled up his guard. They must have recognized him because they had surrounded him immediately and hadn’t hesitated to threaten him. Of course, Akihito wasn’t going to go in on threats, but that changed when they had told him that they would be taking his son. Immediately, he had demanded to speak to their boss, throwing it on a deal that if they left his son alone, he would come voluntarily. He had promised to do whatever they said as long as they left his son alone. It was the only reason he was able to hold out the humiliation and shame of being held against his will. He had thought it would have been easy, to disconnect his mind from his body and to shut everything out, but it had proven to be impossible. However, the body and mind of a human proved to be resilient, replacing Fei-long with Asami when he couldn’t disconnect his mind.

But while it helped to cope at the moment of the rape itself, the mental strain afterwards was heavy and draining. It didn’t change the fact that he was having sex with Fei-long and not Asami. It didn’t change the fact that he was being raped, his consent dubious due to the nature of the situation he was in. The situation he wanted to get out as soon as possible. He wanted to forget about this, about ever being touched by someone other than Asami. He wanted to stop feeling dirty and ashamed, even when he knew that he was not at fault. That he was just caught up in a tug of war between Asami and Fei-long.

“Ah! No, not insi-” Akihito said in a breathless, whiny voice as he looked over his shoulder when he heard the Chinese crime-lord’s grunts change and felt his pace falter, a tell-tale sign of his impending climax. However, his warning was too late as he could feel his inner walls being coated by the long-haired alpha’s orgasm. The blonde turned his face into the pillow again as Fei-long grinded his hips upwards to ride out his climax, placing his hand on Akihito’s lower back to keep his in place. When he was sure he was finished, he pulled out of the omega’s abused hole, rolling onto his side on the bed next to the blonde whose legs gave out underneath him, his lower half throbbing as the raven reached out for the pipe on his bedside-table as he pulled the covers up to his hip. Almost immediately, Akihito’s temperature dropped again, regardless of the exercise that had caused him to sweat just seconds ago. His head started throbbing in tandem with his body, both of the symptoms a tell-tale sign of the amount of spirits that roamed the mafia’s hide-out. Yet Akihito made no move to cover himself with the dirtied sheets, merely closing his eyes to focus on the throbbing of his head so he didn’t need to think about the sperm dripping from his ass. The sudden chuckle originating from the man propped up against the headboard next to him made him open his eyes again to look at him.

“How amusing. Asami’s mistress is lying here next to me, comfortable and exhausted enough to sleep, while Asami himself is working desperately to get you back” Fei-long said amused, reaching out his free hand to brush Akihito’s bangs away from his forehead, his hand slapped away before his fingertips could even touch a single strand of hair.

“Comfortable, my ass. You have no skill in bed and just go at it like virgin using his dick for the first time” Akihito responded sharply and Fei-long scoffed, retracting his hand.

“You expect me to make you feel good? Do you want me to use all my skill to woo you? Are you forgetting your position, Takaba Akihito?” the long-haired alpha asked and Akihito averted his eyes. Fei-long reached out to grab a hold of Akihito’s chin, lifting his head up to force him to meet his gaze as he smirked, practically pulling the blonde up onto his elbows.

“You are my prisoner and I have no obligation to make you feel good in order to sleep with you. You are already mine to use and do with as I please, remember” Fei-long said, refusing to allow the blonde to avert his gaze again. Not that Akihito would after being told something like that, narrowing his eyes sharply instead.

“I’m not anyone’s possession” he said and Fei-long scoffed.

“That tattoo on your wrists says differently, or did you forget the promise you made me? You said you would do anything as long as I did not touch your son, and I plan to keep you to your word. You have no say in anything I do with you, even if I decide to kill you in front of Asami” he said and Akihito swallowed thickly, feeling a chill run down his spine.

“Just imagining the look on his face when I shoot his mistress is enough to make me grin. How satisfying it feels to steal away everything he holds dear, right from under his nose” the baishe leader said with the before mentioned grin on his face that send a chill down Akihito’s spine.

“It’s only fair for me to take away something important to him in the same way he took something important from me. Asami made a big mistake by going after my prey. I had some business with Deye Guelo, but Asami decided to kill him after torturing him despite knowing that I was after him” Fei-long said and the omega grimaced at him.

“You absolutely suck at pillow-talk” he said before pushing himself onto all fours, lifting his torso to sit up on his knees as Fei-long raised an eyebrow at him.

“Unless you want to go for another round, I’m going. I’m tired and my head’s about to burst” Akihito said, shuffling to the edge of the bed to pick up the draw-string trousers, slipping into the regardless of the semen trailing down his legs.

“You are a strange one, Takaba Akihito. Are you not afraid of what might happen to you here?” Fei-long asked as the blonde tied the strings around his waist.

“Not really. I mean you threaten me with drugs and brothels and I get that you have the power to do shit like that, but there is nothing to gain for you if you send me there. You kidnapped me for a reason and that reason need me to be complete and unharmed, otherwise I lose my value” Akihito said before looking over his shoulder at the raven.

“Or am I wrong?” he asked and Fei-long narrowed his eyes, drawing a deep inhale from his pipe.

“You’re right, however, that doesn’t mean you need to forget your situation and your position as my prisoner” he said and Akihito reached down to pick up the shirt he had come into the room with, throwing it over his shoulders as he moved his arm through the short sleeve.

“Believe me, there is not a second that passes that I’m not reminded of it” Akihito said, looking down at the red mark on his ankle where the shackle was locked each time he was inside the room that doubled as his prison.

“I’m just bitter that I’m stuck in a childish tug-of-war between you and Asami that I have nothing to do with. I get that you hold a grudge against Asami for some reason, but don’t use other, unrelated people to get back at him” the blonde added as he stood up, putting a hand on his back as he made his way to the door with uneven, stumbling steps. As he pulled open the door, he saw Yoh, his guard, lean against the wall outside of the room, looking up from the cigarette he was smoking as Akihito all but stumbled outside.

“The showers?” Yoh guessed as Akihito closed the door behind his back.

“Yeah. I need to clean his spunk out of my ass before it gets crusty” he announced with a blank face, somewhat flustering the taller male as he held out a small little pill that Akihito tossed into his mouth and swallowed dry.

“Can you be a little less crass?” he requested as he guided Akihito through the hallways to the bathroom, a trip the blonde could already make with his eyes closed.

“I’ll be a little less crass when he learns to pull out before he finishes” Akihito muttered as he entered the bathroom, Yoh remaining outside at the sink to give the blonde some privacy, or at least as much as he was capable of giving considering he was tasked with keeping an eye on the blonde.

“You’ve been spending more time in Fei-long’s quarters lately, haven’t you” Yoh pointed out as Akihito turned on the water, lifting his head up with closed eyes towards the showerhead.

“It’s not like I can help it when he demands me to stay” the blonde answered bitterly before opening his eyes, spreading his feet slightly as he leaned forward with a hand on the wall.

“You better not get too close to Fei-long-sama, in case you can’t bring yourself to leave anymore” Yoh warned and Akihito hissed as he dug his fingers into himself, spreading open the rim of muscles to clean his insides as good as possible.

“You think I want to stay here? That I am here voluntarily?” the blonde asked sharply and heard the other man sigh.

“No, but I won’t be able to help you if you want to stay here” Yoh said and the blonde resisted the urge to scoff. As if the guard would help him in the first place. Honestly, did he really believe that Akihito wanted to stay in Hong Kong? There was not a single second that passed where he didn’t think about wanting to return to Tokyo. To return to Yurihiko and Asami. If he was going to be stuck in a tug-of-war between Asami and Fei-long, there was not even the least bit of hesitation in his choice. Honestly, why was he still there in the first place? Since when was he so mellow? If Asami knew about his kidnapping, there was no way he wouldn’t figure out that Yurihiko was a target as well and the blonde had seem the crime-lord interact with his son enough to know that Asami would protect their child. So what was he still doing there?

“I can’t understand it” Akihito said as stepped out of the shower-stall, accepting the towel Yoh held out to him to dry his hair.

“Every one of Fei-long’s minions that I’ve crossed, looks willing to lay down their life for him, yet here you are, implying that you’d help me. I can guess that something like this can cost you your head, so does that mean that you are stronger than Fei-long and can win from him in a fight or something?” Akihito asked as he made quick work of drying his body, looking up to see Yoh hold out a stack of fresh clothing.

“I can’t even dream of defeating Fei-long-sama in a fight. All guards are trained in martial arts, but Fei-long-sama is the one that teaches us” the raven answered as Akihito crouched down to stepped into the trousers, nearly losing his balance as he caught himself on the cabinets underneath the sink, his fingers digging into the crevice between the two drawers.

“Martial arts like kung-fu? That means you’re good with your hands, right?” the blonde asked as he pulled the fresh shirt on, pulling on his sleeves buttoning up the front with quick moves.

“I’m better with knives and guns” Yoh admitted, his answer making Akihito smile.

“Is that so?” he responded, looking up at the raven.

“That’s good to hear” he said, reaching out for the taller male’s wrist. Yoh didn’t have the time to respond as Akihito turned around, using his speed and weight to throw the raven over his shoulder, into the wall. The impact caused a few of the tiles to break before Yoh’s head connected with the floor, disorientating him but still allowing him to see Akihito smirk at him.

“Because I’m pretty good with my hands” the blonde couldn’t resist saying before taking his chance to run away, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before Yoh was back on his feet. Mobs were used to taking a beating, after all. However, just like thugs were quick to recover from a hit, Akihito was quick in running away, regardless of the fact that he ignored the cold feeling seeping into his bones each time he ran through a lost soul. From the previous times he had walked down the hallways, he knew that there was a stairs at the end of the hall, one that went both up to the rooftop and down to the ground-floor. Knowing that Yoh would expect him to go down, he took the stairs up instead, climbing them with three at the same time, pulling himself higher on banister regardless of his worn body.

As he had expected, the door to the rooftop was locked, but he had prepared himself for this obstacle, reaching for the bobby pins he had stuck to his sleeve, two he had snatched away from one of the servants when they came to care for his wounds and that he had kept on the bottom of his trousers each time he changed them. Yoh had always questioned why Akihito crouched to pull on his pants, taking enough with the blonde’s explanation that his pain made him lose his balance, which always happened once to place the pins on the edge of the drawer and a second time when he used it as support to stand up. Maybe Akihito should have become an actor, because it didn’t seem like anyone had figured something out. But to be honest, the blonde was pretty pissed with himself for taking so long before trying to escape. Fei-long’s threat about the drugs and brothels had scared him more than he had let on, successfully stopping him from attempting anything. However, now that he had made his move, he wasn’t going to let a door stop him, grinning at himself as he heard the lock click open.

The wind that slapped him in the face was cold, but he welcomed it none the less, regardless of his lowered body temperature. He took a second to close his eyes, soaking up the first rays of Hong Kong sun like a plant in the middle of its photosynthesis process, already feeling his head-ache take off and his energy levels heighten. Perfect timing since he would need every ounce of energy he could get. Feigning unbreeched, Akihito closed the door behind him, turning to the door-knob to lock the door again, leaving the bobby pins inside as he turned to the rooftop. He scanned the surface, trying to look for something that would be able to help him get down to the ground and finding it in the plumbing pipes against the side of the building. Using the drainpipe, he made his way down all three the floors before landing on top of a trash container inside they alley next to the building.

Continuing to scan his surroundings, Akihito ran onto the street in front of him, running away from the building with large strides. People gave him odd looks, but that was the least of the blonde’s concerns at the moment. However, the unusual sight of someone running at full-speed for no apparent reason, not to mention his rather foreign appearance, drew a lot of attention, including the unwanted kind. The omega ducked behind the stand of a vegetable store, looking around the edge to see a suit-clad goon swivel around in the hopes to find a glimpse of him. He hadn’t expected to go unnoticed, but the reaction of the shop-owner to the tattoo on the top of his wrist drew more attention than Akihito could handle, making him take off again without taking the money the shop-owner extended to him. It would have been smarter to have accepted it, which would allow him to use it to buy a plane-ticket back to Japan, but Akihito’s personality didn’t allow him to steal things like money.

In hindsight, he really should have taken the money.

“You can’t!” a young, high-pitched voice called out in a panic, small hands gripping the back of his shirt to stop the blonde from jumping into the bay in an attempt to swim his way back to Japan. Akihito looked over his shoulder at the young raven who had been stealing more than half of his food since his arrival, not that Akihito had much of an appetite with his head that felt like exploding and his body that was always cold.

“Are you trying to kill yourself?!” Tao asked and Akihito placed him foot on the ground again, turning away from the railing.

“No, I’m trying to swim back to Japan” the blonde said dryly and the raven’s eyes widened.

“You can’t! You won’t even make it to Kowloon that way! You’ll die!” he exclaimed and Akihito sank to the ground, resting his elbows on top of his raised knees while roughly combing his fingers through his hair.

“It’s fine even if I die” the blonde muttered, talking more to himself than to Tao who looked unsure of how to respond.

“It’s getting late. Let’s go back, Akihito” he suggested and Akihito scoffed, letting his head hand down between his knees.

“I don’t want to go back there” he said and Tao frowned in confusion.

“Why?” he asked, as if he really had no clue about why Akihito didn’t want to return to Fei-long. As if it was unthinkable.

“Because that bastard kidnapped me and took me here against my will because he wants to get revenge on Asami. He’s continuously threatening to sell me of and he’s hurting me, regardless of whether I tell him to stop or not. In fact, it seems like he enjoys it more when I tell him not to” Akihito said, perhaps a little too sharply as the kid flinched back at the tone of his voice.

“Fei-sama isn’t a bad person, he just has to be to keep the organization together. Fei-sama is actually really kind” Tao said, feeling personally attacked by the blonde’s opinion on the Chinese crime-lord, making the omega scoff.

“Then tell this kind Fei-sama that kidnapping people and threatening their children is bad” Akihito said and heard a sniffle that made him look up.

“It’s not like Fei-sama wants to do this! You don’t know anything, so don’t talk bad about Fei-sama!” Tao said and the blonde felt his chest squeeze together at the sight of his tears that were not out of anger, but out of hurt, the female spirit behind the raven trying to place their hand on the young child’s head in a attempt to comfort him. The sight made Akihito feel guilty even when he knew he had every right to be pissed. However, that didn’t give him the right to take it out on a child.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I said too much because I miss my son. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you” Akihito said, reaching out for the young raven’s free hand to give it a comforting squeeze, the other busy rubbing his eye. Akihito stood up, ruffling the kid’s hair in the same gesture his mother’s spirit had done, telling him not to cry. The action received a grateful look despite the fact that it was obvious that he was the one to have made him cry, unable to understand anything she was saying to him but having a feeling that he didn’t need to either. It was obvious that she cared a lot about her son and part of him hated that he wasn’t able to help her convey what she wanted Tao to know before she crossed the bridge.

“Let’s clean up the groceries you’ve dropped. I’ll help you carry them back” Akihito suggested and Tao nodded, sniffling for the last time as they turned to the paper bag her had dropped when he had stopped Akihito from jumping in the water.

“So, you have a son?” Tao asked as they picked up the mandarins that had fallen out of the bag.

“Yeah, his name is Yurihiko and he’s only six. Half your age” Akihito said and the raven looked up at him.

“Really? You don’t look old enough to have a kid” he said and the blonde scoffed.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, kid. But I wasn’t old when I got him either, so that’s normal” he answered and kept the bag in his arm as they started making their way back to the Baishe hide-out.

“What’s he like, your son?” Tao asked curiously and Akihito was glad to be able to talk about Yurihiko, feeling the emptiness in his chest fill up a little as he told the raven about his son’s shenanigans, peeling and sharing a mandarin while they walked. Clearly, the raven was extremely amused by Yurihiko’s adventures, but the entire relaxed mood disappeared as soon as they had reached the hide-out, affected by the tense atmosphere that seemed to hang over the building like a thick blanked, infecting even the souls roaming the hallways.

“Takaba!” Yoh said annoyed and on edge as the duo entered the building through the front, immediately grabbing the blonde by the elbow to prevent him from attempting another escape. This time, he wasn’t underestimating the omega again, his first impression based on the blonde’s appearance erased by the knock on his head from landing on it after being thrown. Akihito didn’t resist as the mob hand-cuffed his hands behind his back, instead frowning at the group of mobs that moved through the hallway like a waddle of penguins.

“What’s happening? This isn’t because I ran, right?” he asked and Yoh followed his line of gaze before pushing him into the direction.

“No, it isn’t, but you really shouldn’t have done that. Fei-long-sama will talk to you about that later, but he has more important matters to take care of at the moment” the mob responded and Akihito glanced at Tao who walked in front of them, just as weary.

“Did something bad happen?” the young raven asked and was answered by Fei-long himself as soon as they entered the large room filled with his underlings, announcing that there was a traitor among them, the tension inside the room thickening to an almost suffocating degree.

[It’s him. He’s the traitor.]

Akihito looked at the old spirit standing next to him, bleeding from a gunshot wound in his chest, directly in his heart. He followed the old man’s line of gaze to the man rubbing his hands behind his back.

[I knew you could hear me. Now tell him. Tell my son that this one’s the traitor. He belongs to the Russians.]

Akihito clicked with his tongue at being caught while he had been so careful, his hands clenching into fists as he hesitated, trying to figure out how he would explain himself in a way that would seem legit enough. He couldn’t just give away that he could see and talk to dead people, not knowing what Fei-long would do with that information. Not to mention that he had no idea how he was supposed to explain his gift anyway. He hadn’t even told Asami about it.

“Danger!” Tao called out, throwing himself at the man Akihito had been mindlessly staring at during his inner monologue, having seen him draw a gun, tackling the much bigger man to the ground. The blonde felt like his heart was going to stop as he saw Tao being hit hard enough to throw him off the man and knock him unconscious. Akihito’s temper kicked in before he could stop himself and remind him of the situation, ramming into the Chinese mob with his shoulder as he moved to stand off, throwing him off balance again. However, the man had expected it after being tackled by Tao, retaliating with a kick that disorientated the blonde. While Akihito was used to taking a beating from his grandfather, but in those moment, he had his hands free to retaliate, or at least prevent himself from falling on the ground where he was vulnerable to the kicks landing in his ribs and lower back area, adding to the throb that had already been there before.

A gunshot rang out and Akihito’s already short breathing got stuck in his throat as he saw blood splatter onto the ground before a skull impacted with a loud and unsavoury thud with the floor right in front of his eyes, missing part of face. The blood was warm as it landed on Akihito’s cheek, yet he couldn’t bring himself to flinch at the sudden wetness of it on his skin, staring at the corpse in front of him. His stomach clenched uncomfortably as he could still feel the warmth of the body, yet saw his spirit sit up, away from its former vessel as it looked around disorientated, reaching up to feel the exposed flesh of his temple. His ears were ringing, blocking out every single sound around him as he couldn’t even begin to understand or explain what he was feeling as he looked wide-eyed at the soul that had risen in front of him.

He had been seeing dead people ever since he was born, knew nothing else than the horrific scenes of a person’s soul, looking the exact same way as they did when they left their body. Car-accident victims who walked around with a piece of car stuck through their bodies, covered in blood and glass from the windows. Drown-victims, dripping in water and exhaling it every time they talked, spilling past their blue lips. Burn-victims who still smelled like smoke and burned flesh that was rotting away. Samurai’s who lost their limbs and sometimes heads on the battle-field, first-hand examples of harakiri who almost tripped over their own bowels. People who had met unfortunate ends by their own hand, the rope belonging to the noose around their broken necks trailing behind them. Souls who had met their ends at the hands of others, bleeding from different wounds, some worse than others. Yet to see it happen in such a violent way right in front of him, hit him harder than he had expected. He should have been used to it by now, but he clearly wasn’t. At least not to have it happen right in front of him.

Seeing dead people was one thing, but seeing them get killed right in front of him was something different. He was aware that Yoh had pulled the trigger to save him, but that didn’t make killing another person any better. He was just relieved that Tao had been knocked out, so he didn’t have to witness the scene.

God, he wanted to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	12. Jasmine.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasmine ;; Love. Beauty of motherhood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs.  
> I hope you enjoy ^^

“Are you nervous?” Fei-long asked as he placed his hand on Akihito’s knee, his torso turned to him to give the blonde his full attention, his other arm resting on the back-leaning behind him. Akihito’s hands were wringing together in his lap, his eyes studying the flower pattern on his light-blue flower patterned changshan that reached his knees, worn on top of a pair of dark trousers and black slippers.

“Of course, I am. No matter how much you try to hide it, you’re clearly packing heat under there and I don’t doubt that Asami will have a couple of guns on him as well. What’s stopping this from turning into a shoot-out?” the blonde asked and Fei-long gave him an amused smile.

“I don’t plan on wasting any bullets on Asami as long as he doesn’t do anything funny” the Chinese crime-lord said and Akihito’s grip tightened on his own hands as he heard the raven chuckle.

“Of course, that is if Asami isn’t stupid enough to try anything in this situation. We’re on my ship and it depends entirely on my mood whether he gets off this ship unharmed or not. Only a fool would try to do something when he’s at this much of a disadvantage” Fei-long said and the blonde felt goose-bumps break out on his arms, wondering how the hell the raven was able to laugh when he was about to puke his guts out. He startled when a hand landed in his nape, giving a short squeeze before fingertips started to draw circles into his skin.

“Don’t worry, Akihito. I don’t plan on harming you anymore. That’s why I agreed to this exchange” the long-haired man said and Akihito took an almost shaky breath before exhaling it slowly again, trying to curb his nerves to a more manageable level. Honestly, could he really trust someone like Fei-long? Someone who smiled on the surface but was constantly plotting something behind that farce. The distrust must have shown on his face as he casted a glance at the raven, who questioned the reason behind the look but didn’t expect an answer.

“We still have a little more time before the exchange and we’re in my casino, so how about a game once we cross the border?” Fei-long suggested and Akihito grimaced.

“No, I don’t think I can focus in this situation” the blonde said, feeling somewhat nauseous from the stress and practically jumping when there was a knock on the door before it swung open. A few Chinese words were exchanged before Fei-long turned to him, removing his hand from his nape.

“It’s time” Fei-long said and Akihito looked up at him before looking at the two burly men in the door-opening.

“These two will escort you to the lobby where you can go outside and board a small ship. Asami’s men should be waiting for you there” he said and Akihito swallowed as he looked back at the men, hearing the souls behind them mumble in a language that he couldn’t understand but knew was not Chinese. The tones were completely different.

“No, I don’t think so” he said and the raven frowned confused, somewhat taken aback by the blonde’s sharp response.

“What? What’s wrong?” he asked and Akihito looked at the raven before leaning forward, closer to the alpha’s ear.

“I don’t trust those guys and neither should you. Or have you forgotten that there were Russian spies in your organization?” he said in a soft voice before sitting straight up again, looking straight at the raven.

“The one with the glasses, he doesn’t belong to you” Akihito said and Fei-long glanced at the men who were waiting, some small ticks betraying their impatience.

“How do you know?” the crime-lord asked and Akihito shook his head.

“Don’t ask me how. Just, trust me on this one” the blonde said, hoping the crime-lord would listen to him but wondering why he would at the same time. After all, those were Fei-long’s subordinates and he was just a bargain chip. The long-haired alpha regarded him before turning to his men, telling them something Akihito couldn’t understand but knew was dismissal when the duo turned around to leave the room. Fei-long had his phone drawn out as soon as the door closed, calling his more trusted subordinates to no doubt capture the men he had just send outside. As he closed the call and took the device away from his ear, he turned to the blonde.

“He’ll be questioned” he said, though it didn’t make Akihito feel any more relaxed, knowing that ‘questioned’ was just another word for tortured.

“However, now that it’s come to this, I will exchange you personally. It might be more stressful for you” Fei-long said and Akihito shook his head.

“No, that’s fine. I just want to get this over with. I want to return to my son” the blonde said and the older man regarded him, looking somewhat regretful before he stood up.

“Then let’s return you to Asami” he said and Akihito looked up at him before nodding, getting to his feet as well. His nerves seemed to form a fist around his throat, closing it off as he trailed after Fei-long towards the meeting-place, flanked by several black-suit clad men who were no doubt armed underneath their blazers. Fei-long might feel reassured by it, but Akihito was anything but, jumping when he felt fingertips touch the back of his fisted hand, stopping him front digging his nails into his skin until he bled.

“It’ll be alright. I don’t believe Asami is stupid enough to try something at this moment. Where’s the guts you showed me when you escaped, or told me you were two seconds away from hitting me? Or when you dared to tell me I was bad in bed” Fei-long asked, trying to shift the mood with a little joke, but without success as Akihito grimaced.

“This and that are different. We were alone back then. Right now, I could be walking into a shoot-out as only one unarmed. That’s not even a target on my back anymore. That’s making my entire existence a target with neon-paint and billboard-signs above my head” he said and Fei-long raised an eyebrow at him.

“Besides, running away is fine. In an entire country, there has to be at least a few places I would be able to hide or disguise myself. But no matter how fast I am, a bullet it ten times faster. It’s ridiculous to think I can outrun a bullet, so I can only hope that your aim is shit” he said and Fei-long looked in front of him again, a small smile on his lips that really didn’t belong there, considering both the situation and the conversation subject.

“Hate to burst your bubble, but there is nothing wrong with my aim” he said and Akihito sighed.

“Yeah, I guessed as much. But how’s your dodging?” he asked and Fei-long looked at him from the corner of his eyes, still amused.

“I’m afraid I’m not fast enough to dodge a bullet either” he said and Akihito huffed.

“Good. Then I can use you as shield” he said, earning a soft laugh from the crime-lord that disappeared as soon as they stepped into the glass elevator to take it down. Akihito’s breathing got stuck as he saw a group of five suit-clad men surrounding a familiar figure who was looking slowly around the lobby to see if he recognized someone.

“Asami” Akihito breathed, barely resisting the urge to step forward, knowing he’d just run face-first into the window wall of the elevator car.

“Once we reach the lobby, I will step forward with you to accept the deeds from Asami before you return with him to his side. As soon as I have the deed in hand, you and Asami are allowed to leave the ship and return to your son” Fei-long said and the omega looked up at him.

“You think it will go as easy as that?” he asked and the long-haired raven regarded him thoughtfully, wondering if he should be honest or if he should try to pacify the blonde’s worries.

“I hope it will, but I cannot say for sure. If the Russians truly have men on this ship as you think, I cannot predict their actions. Just keep your guard up” he said and Akihito felt his stomach turn again.

“How the fuck am I supposed to do that? I’m a priest, not a spy or a mobster” the blonde muttered and took a nervous breath as the elevator stopped on the ground-floor. He nearly forgot to step out as the doors opened, almost stumbling out of the cart after Fei-long. He looked back up after finding his balance, a jolt running down his spine as he found Asami’s golden eyes focussed on him, scanning up and down his body as if he was looking for any visible injuries and relaxing a little when he found none. Akihito on the other hand had to remind himself that he couldn’t just run up to the man because that wasn’t part of the deal. Fei-long wasn’t supposed to have met Asami face-to-face, but because Akihito had pointed out a spy, the plans had changed. If he made a wrong move now, he could set off something he absolutely didn’t want. Besides, this might just be his paranoia speaking, but he could feel that they were being watched, looking around the higher floor balustrades to see if he could find someone.

[Second floor, two o’clock.]

Akihito followed the directions given by the old man’s spirit next to Fei-long, looking over at the second floor balcony, seeing a blonde man lean onto it, close enough to make out the tumbler glass that dangled from his grip. The omega looked away immediately again, hoping he hadn’t been noticed as he turned his head slightly towards the crime-lord next to him.

“Oi, Fei-long. There’s someone on the second floor, two o’clock” Akihito informed and Fei-long’s gaze turned to the mentioned direction before his shoulders squared in a somewhat tense action.

“Mikhail Arbatov, leader of the Russian bratva. From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like he’ll make a move, but I can’t see his right hand” he said and the blonde looked down, wondering just how much of this he would be able to take. With an almost careless gesture of his hand, Fei-long and Akihito separated from the Chinese mobs in the same way Asami did, holding onto a thick, leather folder.

[Hey, kid. Remember that I helped you. It’s your turn to help me.]

“I know” Akihito muttered, earning a confused hum from the crime-lord next to him. The blonde glanced up to him, knowing that if he didn’t want Asami to overhear, this was his last chance to pay back the Chinese spirit for helping him during his time in the baishe hide-out.

“I know this might not be the right timing, but your father has a message for you” the priest said, earning a shocked look from the long-haired raven.

“He just wants you to know that he has never once stopped loving you and that he is proud of you. He just wants you to remain wary of that Russian guy and to not get caught up in his pace. Also, he’s absolutely fine with you being bi-sexual, but he doesn’t agree with your taste in men, which I don’t know is an insult to me or Asami. Also, he worries about your alcohol tolerance and that it doesn’t match up with your intake. He’s telling you to pace yourself and to stop drinking bourbon if you can’t handle it” Akihito said, talking as fast as he comfortably could to cram every single point in a message he tried to keep as short as possible.

“Also, he wants to tell you that he’s glad you let your hair grow out again after prison” the blonde added quickly before he forgot, seeing the lost soul give a grateful nod before disappearing, no doubt crossing the bridge only he could see.

“What did you?” Fei-long asked shocked, but couldn’t continue asking further as Akihito looked up at Asami who stopped in front of them.

“Asami” the blonde said, the relief audible in his voice as he could practically feel the man’s body-heat radiate from him despite the distance that was still between them. For once, Akihito was completely fine with ignoring the spirit behind the raven, unable to look away from the alpha.

“Let’s get the exchange over with, Fei-long” the Japanese crime-lord said, his low voice sending a pleasant chill down Akihito’s spine as the baishe leader blinked out of his shock, turning to the older raven, still looking a little out of it but covering it up well behind a mask of indifference.

“As soon as I have the deeds in hand, you are free to leave with Akihito and I will not pursue you” Fei-long said and Asami regarded him before holding out the mentioned deeds.

“I’m keeping you to your word, Fei-long. If you come after Akihito or Yurihiko again, I won’t be as kind” he warned and the long-haired alpha regarded him.

“Then you better keep an eye on them” Fei-long said, as if he just couldn’t help himself but provoke the older man who narrowed his eyes at him, both of them holding onto the folder. Akihito had enough of their head-butting, knowing that that was the exact reason that he was caught up in this nerve-wrecking situation. In a bold move, he pulled the deeds from both crime-lord’s hands before pushing it into Fei-long’s chest with a half-hearted glare at Asami.

“Would you two just cut it out” he hissed at them before grabbing a hold of Asami’s blazer to tug on it.

“Just take me back. I want to go back to my son” he said, his anger making place for worry and longing despite how he had wanted to hold on to it. It was easier to deal with anger, less hollowing and discouraging. Asami wrapped his arm around the blonde’s waist to pull him closer, his grip surprisingly tight despite how calm the gesture might have seemed to other people. However, Akihito didn’t hate it, not even in the least, leaning into the older man’s chest instead.

“Let’s go home then. Yurihiko is waiting for us” the raven said before turning around, trusting his men to watch his back as he walked up to them, pulling the blonde with him. Akihito couldn’t help but look over his shoulder, seeing Fei-long do the same, meeting his gaze with a million questions that Akihito was not going to answer. The omega looked away again, turning to Asami next to him.

“The Russian bratva is here as well” he said and the raven glanced at him before his gaze swept over the lobby.

“I guessed as much. There were a few complications with them while you were here” he said and Akihito’s eyes widened.

“Yurihiko?! What about Yurihiko? Where is he?” he asked, reaching up to almost clutch the older man’s tie. Asami gave his hip a squeeze as they walked out of the lobby, the penguins flanking them while keeping their attention divided on their surroundings.

“He’s at the airport with a couple of my men guarding him. He’s alright. You’ll see him soon, I promise” he said and Akihito breathed a sigh of relief as he boarded the ship that Fei-long had previously mentioned being small but was actually a luxurious yacht.

“Are you hurt?” Asami asked as they were left alone in one of the rooms, the ship sailing away from the casino. Akihito shook his head negative as he sat down raising his hands to support his forehead.

“Not physically, no. Mentally, I feel like I died and was revived again, and not in a good way. I saw someone get shot, you know. Right in front of me. The impact of a skull with the ground is surprisingly loud and dull, in a way. But then again, I guess that’s expected, considering the weight of both a person’s brains and bones” Akihito said and the huffed in a sardonically amused way.

“Oh, and I was injured in the beginning, but my injuries were well taken care of even when they were somewhat internal. Fei-long really sucks in bed unless he’s piss-drunk” the blonde added and felt Asami’s hand land on the back of his head to pull him towards his chest. Akihito let himself be drawn closer, leaning into the raven’s chest, low enough so his ear was placed right above the older man’s heart, hearing it beat into his ear.

“Don’t talk about him and a bed in the same sentence right now that I got you back” Asami said and the blonde heard his voice rumble through his chest. His hand slid down through the blonde’s hair towards the omega’s neck before coming around to lift Akihito’s chin, making him look up at the older man.

“I will have to give you back to our son as soon as we see him, so for now, be mine and mine alone. I’ll erase every trace of Fei-long and overwrite it. I will make you forget about everything that happened” the raven said and Akihito regarded him before exhaling a shaky breath through his nose, his lips parting as he reached up to capture the older man’s mouth. Having Asami overwrite every one of Fei-long’s touches sounded perfect to him at the moment. To just let go and forget about everything but Asami seemed like it was exactly what he needed.

“Why are you crying?” Asami asked as he pulled away, reaching up to wipe away the tears rolling from Akihito’s eyes.

“I- I didn’t know if you’d really come. I didn’t know if I’d see Yurihiko back, or if I’d see you back” the blonde said, his true feelings coming out as the adrenaline left him as they left behind the situation with the baishe.

“It was all I could think about” Akihito said, feeling both terrified and relieved, desperate for something he couldn’t put his finger on. He startled as he was lifted to his knees, pulled forwards until he was straddling the raven’s lap, feeling the older man’s nose brush his collarbone with half-closed eyes.

“There is no way I would give up on you, Akihito. I too couldn’t think about anything but getting you back” Asami said as he tightened his grip on the blonde’s waist before letting his hands roam across the silk fabric that covered his skin.

“I’m sorry, but I’m at the end of my patience” the raven said and Akihito released a sigh that sounded like the beginning of a moan as his hips were lowered by the pressure of Asami’s hand on his lower back, pressing their pelvis together to reveal the erection the older man was sporting inside the contains of his slacks. Their lips met with a hunger that could be called desperation, Asami’s hands easily finding the front-closings of Akihito’s top. However, it wasn’t going fast enough for Akihito.

“Fuck, just hurry up. I want you” he panted against the raven’s mouth, half a second before the older man tore open his shirt, giving up on keeping it whole enough for him to wear afterwards. His arms wrapped themselves around the raven’s neck as he manoeuvred himself in a way that helped Asami remove his pants, leaving it to dangle from one of the blonde’s ankles because they were too impatient to slow down even for a minute. It was Akihito who told Asami to skip a decent preparation, figuring he was already used enough to be penetrated nearly dry.

However, this time he wanted it, his body accepting the invasion eagerly as Asami pushed into him. He gratefully took the pain that came with the pleasure the older man gave him. Their joining wasn’t necessarily for pleasure, but to confirm that this was reality. That Akihito had left behind Fei-long and had returned to Asami who would bring him to their son. At the same time, it was confirmation for the older man as well, obvious in the way he held onto the blonde, unwilling to let go. In that moment, they needed each other just as much as they needed air, maybe even more. They embraced each other as if tomorrow would never come, only calming down a little after their second round. However, they arrived at the port before they could be satisfied, barely pacified enough to get their priorities straight.

“Don’t worry about it” Asami said, catching the blonde look worried at the tattoo hidden underneath the bandage that had been wrapped around his wrist.

“Something as insignificant as that can be erased easily. Don’t think about it anymore” the raven said and Akihito sighed as he closed his eyes, covering the bandage with his hand.

“That’s easier said than done” he said and Asami couldn’t deny that.

“That might help” he said, getting the blonde’s attention by jerking his chin through the window next to him as the car slowly turned, pointing out the young blonde surrounded by four black-clad men that towered over him. Akihito was out of the car before it had even come to a still-stand, yet no-one made a move to stop him.

“Yurihiko!” Akihito called out, seeing his son start to run towards him.

“Mom!” the young blonde yelled, the tears in his eyes audible in his voice as he launched himself at his mother who effortlessly caught him. Akihito closed his eyes as he curler his arm around his son’s torso, the other placed on the back of his head as he felt the young child cry into his neck, locking his legs around his mother’s waist. Akihito’s breathing came shaky as he rested his head against Yurihiko’s, his hands trembling as he held onto the koala that was his son. A hand on his lower back drew his attention, looking up to see Asami ruffle up the young blonde’s hair as he jerked his head towards the private jet that would take them home.

After a short pit-stop at a tropic island.

Akihito shot up with a loud gasp, his eyes wide as he stared out in front of him, the last traces of his nightmare still clinging to him as he tried to recognize where he was. He could tell there was a weight on top of his chest, nearly making him throw it off in a blind panic until he recognized the sound of familiar, high-pitched snores. He looked down to find his son spread out on the bed next to him, his legs draped over his bare chest and his head resting on top of Asami’s bicep. The crime-lord was awake, looking at him though it was somewhat drowsy, clearly having been woken up by Akihito’s nightmare. The blonde closed his eyes, shifting to sit up as carefully as possible, lifting his head from the raven’s fore-arm that would no doubt be tingling like mad.

“I’m sorry, I woke you up” Akihito said and Asami’s free hand landed on his knee as he held his forehead.

“A nightmare?” the older man guessed and Akihito pushed his hair back before throwing the covers off his hips.

“I’ll be fine in a second” he said, brushing off the subject as he stood up, making his way to the bathroom. He heard Asami stand up behind him, following him into the other room as the blonde threw some water into his face in the hope to wash away the remains of his dream. He tensed up when he felt Asami step up behind him, one hand coming around to land on his chest and the other slipping behind the waistband of the pale tartan cotton shorts he had slept in.

“Looks like I’ll have to remind you of what your reality is” Asami said, talking directly into his ear that made a tingle run down the blonde’s spine as it arched into the raven’s hand without his consent.

“Hey! Hiko is sleeping in the next room” Akihito hissed and jolted when the older man nipped at the shell of his ear.

“Then you’ll have to make sure to keep quiet” he said before his finger penetrated the blonde’s hole, making him bite back a soft hum. Asami was making it considerably hard to keep his voice down, making him bit on the back of his wrist as he was jolted forward with each rough trust. His hand was braced against the mirror in front of him while one of his knee was lifted onto the edge of the sink, his eyes closed to avoid having to see what he looked like while he was getting fucked. He felt ashamed to be doing this with his son sleeping on the other side of the rather thin, wooden door, yet when Asami all but ordered him to open his eyes, to look at who was making him feel this much pleasure, Akihito couldn’t stop his eyelids from opening. While his own expression was flushed and fucked out, it was the look on Asami’s face that really got to him, over-ruling the vision of his dream where he had been mounted by Fei-long.

It was that hungry look in his golden eyes that made Akihito release the mirror to reach back to braid his fingers through the older man’s onyx locks that were damp with sweat, arching his spine further to lean back to get closer to the man who let his hand roam up to the blonde’s chest, the other remaining on the younger man’s hip to pull him back onto his manhood. The high they were desperately chasing came soon enough, Asami taking it upon himself to muffle the blonde’s voice with his own mouth, grinding his pelvis up into the priest’s ass as Akihito rolled his hips back, his body spasming in time with his orgasm. Asami shuffled back enough to allow the blonde to lower his leg again, sinking back on his heels from where he had been forced on the tips of his toes. Slowly but surely, the raven pulled out from the young mother’s tunnel, slipping free with a light shiver from both of them.

“I’ll go check up on Yurihiko. Take a bath first” Asami said before pressing a kiss to the blonde’s nape while tucking himself away in his sweatpants again.

“Call me when you need help washing your back” he said and Akihito resisted the urge to slap his chest.

“Too cheesy, old man” he muttered, seeing him take the door off the lock before slipping outside of the bathroom, giving Akihito the privacy to clean up after their rather quick tryst. Akihito had barely cleaned up the results of their escapade when his son barged into the bathroom, wanting to take a bath with him.

“Dad! Are you coming?!” Yurihiko called towards the living area and Akihito tensed, both at his son’s suggestion for taking a bath with the three of them and the way he referred to Asami as. But then again, Yurihiko did mention that they had lived together. Of course Akihito would indulge him, pretending he wasn’t a little bit uncomfortable as both he and Asami tried to curb in the chaos Yurihiko was causing. However, despite of how normal both of them seemed, dragging Asami all around the island, it took a few days before the young blonde could be separated for more than two minutes from his mother. Akihito was still waking up from nightmares during the night, though they were easing up thanks to Asami’s eccentric assistance, not that the priest was putting up much of a fight.

“Akihito” Asami called out, making the blonde look away from the sea he was watching to see the older man approach him calmly until he stopped next to the omega.

“You weren’t in the room” the crime-lord said and Akihito hummed as he looked back at the water tickling his toes.

“I needed some time to think” he said and Asami returned the hum, looking at him instead of following his line of gaze.

“And what conclusion did you come to?” he asked and the blonde placed his hand in his hip, shifting his weight onto the side foot.

“That I’m pretty weak. In my situation, having gone through what I did, anyone would have nightmares” he said and then scoffed.

“But how the hell are you able to stay sane in a world like this?” he asked as he looked up at the raven next to him.

“I just do whatever it takes to get what I want” Asami answered and Akihito regarded the man before huffing.

“And I guess that includes Yurihiko and me” he said, trying to crack a joke, only to be pulled into the older man’s side, his hand burning through the fabric that covered the blonde’s hip.

“You only figured that out now?” the crime-lord asked and Akihito barked a laugh with a shake of his head.

“Do you have any idea how selfish that sounds?” he asked as he looked up at the raven who shrugged with just his expression.

“I’m fine with being selfish” he said, a silence falling before they moved towards each other, their lips meeting as Akihito’s arm curled around the crime-lord’s waist in return. Their gazes locked together as they parted, looking at each other without saying a word, the serene atmosphere between them broken by the rough arrival of their son as the little monkey jumped up to attach himself to their arms.

“You two were kissing! Does that mean I’ll have a little brother or sister soon?!” he asked excitedly and Akihito felt a flush rise up to his cheeks as the separated to let their son step up in between them.

“Hiko!” Akihito exclaimed mortified as Asami picked the young blonde up onto his hip.

“Who knows, maybe. What would you like best?” the raven asked and Yurihiko grinned.

“I don’t mind, as long as I get to boss them around” he answered and Akihito stared at them with wide eyes.

“Ey! Would you two stop talking as if it’s so easy?! Keep in mind that I’ll be the one to carry them for nine months before giving birth to them!” the priest exclaimed and Asami smirked at him.

“So, you wouldn’t mind having another kid with me as long as I keep you pampered?” he asked and Akihito felt his face burn, no doubt resembling the lobster they had dined on that evening.

“I don’t need to be pampered!” he said, but didn’t deny the first part of the raven’s statement. To be honest, no he wouldn’t mind it if it happened, but he wasn’t trying for it either. Akihito had no idea what was between him and Asami but he knew that it wasn’t friendship. They were more than sex-friends as well. He just knew that he needed Asami, in a way he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit but couldn’t deny either.

He wondered if this made him less than sane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	13. Lavender.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lavender ;; Devotion. Caution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and its OCs!  
> I hope you like it.

“Asami, we need to talk” Akihito said, right as the raven had woken up, feeling the older man’s arm slide around his waist as he stepped up behind the blonde, leaning down to place a kiss on the younger man’s temple. The gesture was domestic, something Akihito wasn’t yet used to despite that he had had no other choice but to move in to the man’s penthouse when both Yurihiko and all his belongings were inside the building. Yet he wasn’t rejecting the gesture either, strangely okay with it despite the complicated nature of his relationship with Asami.

“Hm. What did you want to talk about?” the crime-lord asked as he moved away from the blonde, taking his warmth with him as he moved to the teapot he knew would be filled. Akihito had scarily easily settled into the role of housewife and while it annoyed the fuck out of the blonde, he couldn’t deny that it all came natural. Usually, he did it at home for his grandparents, but now he was doing it for Asami.

“Yurihiko” Akihito said as he kept his eyes on the stove while Asami poured himself a cup of freshly brewed lemon tea.

“What about him?” the raven asked as he turned around resting his jogging-clad ass against the counter as he looked at the omega, patiently waiting for him to start the conversation he wanted to have.

“To put it bluntly, you’re no good for him” Akihito said and Asami raised his mug to his lips without saying anything, so the blonde took it as a sign to continue.

“I was going to say, don’t take it personal, but it’s very personal. However, it’s not because of who you are, but because of what you do. Not voluntarily, but you’re still doing it” Akihito said as he looked up from the tamagoyaki he was preparing for breakfast, seeing Asami narrow his eyes at him.

“Who said that I’m not doing this voluntarily?” he asked and Akihito resisted the urge to look back at where father Asami was reading the front-page of the newspaper.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that whatever you’re doing, is putting Yurihiko in danger” the blonde said before looking down at the stove again.

“If it had been just me, it would have been fine. I can handle all this, but he shouldn’t have to. And to be perfectly honest, you are the last man anyone should start a family with. It’s not worth it” the omega said and couldn’t help but feel guilty for the words leaving his mouth. He knew that it was the truth and that it needed to be said, but it still didn’t make his words any less hurtful.

“I don’t blame you” Asami said and Akihito looked up, seeing the man’s neutral but surprisingly open expression as he looked at the smaller male.

“Honestly, in your position, I wouldn’t want to start a family with me either, especially not with children involved. I’m aware that I’m not husband or father material and will never be considering my history and how I was raised. So you can stop looking so guilty. I don’t blame you for thinking this way at all” he said and looked away again.

“To be perfectly honest, I’m still unsure if this is a good idea, to drag both you and Yurihiko into my life” he admitted, surprising the priest into looking up at him.

“However, I’ve made my decision and I’m not changing my mind” Asami said and turned his head to meet the blonde’s gaze.

“Give me the chance to proof that I can protect you and Yurihiko. If anything happens to either of you, I’ll walk out of your lives and you will never see me again. Not you and not Yurihiko” the raven said and Akihito regarded him.

“Didn’t you say that’d you’d take it to court if I didn’t allow you to see your son?” he asked and Asami hummed.

“Indeed, but if I make a mistake, we won’t need court. If I cannot keep him safe this close with me, it is better for him not to be anywhere near me” he said and the blonde stared at him, his gaze flittering from the raven’s one eye to the other as if to test him. With a sigh, he averted his gaze, turning it back to the rectangular pan to pour in a little more egg.

“I must be out of my mind to agree with this” he said and Asami pushed off from the counter he was leaning against.

“Probably, yes” he agreed and Akihito clicked with his tongue, feeling the man’s hand touch his lower back, as if to get his attention despite that he already had it.

“I’ll go wake Yurihiko up” he said and the priest gave a hum, glancing at his retreating back as he walked out of the kitchen to make his way to the guestroom he had turned into Yurihiko’s bedroom. Not that he had used it much. Apparently, during the time that Akihito had been in Hong Kong, Yurihiko had been sleeping with Asami, unable to find rest in any other way. After Akihito had returned, it had taken a few days before Yurihiko had been pacified enough to give the bed to his parents alone, sleeping in his own room for the first time. As soon as the bed was only for the two of them, Asami had taken to sleeping naked and had made sure Akihito did the same. That he was too tired to think of getting dressed before falling asleep after cleaning up the evidence of what they did when their son was asleep.

Maybe that was why the blonde was suddenly okay with all the physical contact the raven initiated inside the comfort of their house?

Fuck, the man was really making him fall for him.

“G’morning” Yurihiko’s voice came sleepily from the entrance of the kitchen, making the priest look up towards his son perched on Asami’s hip. The child was rubbing his eye with his bunny-pajama covered fist, holding on to the raven’s shoulder to steady himself as he yawned.

“Good morning, little monkey. Slept well?” Akihito asked and couldn’t help but smile fondly as Yurihiko turned resting his cheek on his father’s shoulder while wrapping his arms around the older man’s neck.

“Too short” he mumbled sleepily and Asami huffed.

“You slept longer than us” he said as he rubbed his son’s back, supporting him on his hip with the other arm.

“But that’s your own fault” the young blonde pointed out and Akihito felt a flush land on his cheeks even though he knew it was impossible for his son to know what his parents were doing during the night considering they always did it in the soundproof room. Akihito had a hard time relaxing otherwise, afraid that his son might accidentally hear him crying out, because really, holding his voice down when he was having sex with Asami was damned near impossible unless the man took the job upon himself to muffle the omega, something he never did. The knowing smile the crime-lord send him made him flush harder, turning back to the stove to get his head out of the gutter again.

“But weren’t you the one who said that you wanted a little brother or sister?” Asami asked and Akihito’s head shot back to him, his glare completely undone by the flush that reached his collarbones and the back of his neck.

“Shut it! He doesn’t need to know that!” the blonde hissed and heard father Asami chortled to himself and Yurihiko turned his head in confusion, not lifting it from Asami’s shoulder.

“Know what? That you two are wrestling to see who is strongest?” he asked and Akihito shot a glance at father Asami who winked at him without saying a word.

“Something like that, yes. Let’s keep it at that” Asami said with a little smug smirk before turning away to the dining room. The priest felt the need to hold his head in the freezer to cool down the blush on his face but didn’t, knowing that his son would question it. Asami returned to the kitchen to help him carry the food to the dining-room where Yurihiko was already sitting, still yawning and almost falling back asleep where he sat.

“Asami, can you take Hiko to school? It’s going to be busy in the shrine and I need to be there as early as possible” Akihito said and Asami hummed.

“No problem. You want me to call someone to drive you or do you want to borrow one of my cars?” the crime-lord asked and Yurihiko looked up in surprise.

“Cars? You have more than one?” he asked and Asami hummed.

“Five of them. All but one is imported” he answered and the little blonde’s eyes started to sparkle.

“I want to drive too!” he said as he stood up in his seat, raising his hand as high as possible.

“Not until you have your driver’s license, little monkey. And the day you get it, I am not coming out of my house when I know you’re on the road” Akihito said, grabbing his son’s nape softly to push him back down in his chair before looking at Asami.

“I don’t need a car. I have my scooter, which brings me around much faster than a car stuck in traffic” he answered, refusing the offer and Asami hummed.

“If you’re sure. You can use my cars if you ask, you know” he said and Akihito regarded him suspiciously.

“Yeah, but what do I have to do for it?” he asked and merely got a smirk in response, which was enough of an answer for him, making him stand up before the older man could tempt him. Both into his bed and into using one of his cars.

“I have to go now. Just put the dishes in the sink and I’ll do them when I return. Hiko, don’t skip school or I’ll know” Akihito warned as he stood up, ruffling up his son’s messy mop of hair.

“What does it matter if I skip or not? It’s not like I get paid to go to school” Yurihiko said a she leaned forward, resting his cheek on the table next to his empty plate.

“No, but I do, and where do you think your allowance comes from? So, technically, you do get paid to go to school. Get your butt in that hard wooden seat and grit your teeth if you want to get paid” Akihito said and then turned to Asami.

“I’m counting on you” he said in a warning tone that was answered with a hum.

“Don’t worry and go to work. I’ll take care of him” the crime-lord said and Akihito gave his son’s head a last ruffle before making his way to the entrance hall where he pulled on his zori, already having changed into his kimono with hakama.

“Itterashai!” Yurihiko cried from his room as Akihito opened the door.

“Ittekimasu!” the priest called back before pulling the door closed behind him, the keys of his scooter rattling softly where they dangled from his finger as he made his way to the elevator. He placed his helmet on top of his head without pulling it down as he waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor, stepping out of the building as quickly as he could so he didn’t have to hear the concierge call him ‘Asami-sama’. As he stepped onto his scooter and pushed it off the stand, he pulled his helmet down and secured it underneath his chin before taking a hold of the handles of his steering-wheel. He got a lot of strange looks as he made his way to the shrine, yet he was already used to people staring after him, sometimes even taking pictures. It wasn’t often that you saw a priest on a scooter since it was a rather odd and comic sight.

“I’m here” Akihito said as he entered the dojo, kicking off his sandals on the engawa.

“You’re late!” Sachiko’s voice came sharp and loud as a fan slapped closed threateningly in a way that had the blonde flinch.

“It’s only one minute” Akihito said as he stepped further inside the dojo, walking up to his grandmother who leveled him with a sharp looked that seemed to pin him to floor.

“Want to find out how much movements I can put in one minute?” she asked and Akihito grimaced as he bowed his head.

“Please, don’t. I’ll be on time tomorrow, I promise” he said and flinched again as she harrumphed. God, his sweet, bubbly grandmother could be frightening when it came to dance training. She was merciless, unhesitant to hit her grandson with her closed fan on whatever limb was out of place in that moment. In Akihito’s opinion, the thing that hurt the worst were the taps he received on his fingers when they weren’t in the right position. Luckily, he had learned early on that it was better to just learn the finger-positions first before he learned the dance-steps. Honestly, only his grandmother was so focused on every detail, including the position of his fingertips, but Akihito knew from experience that it paid off. Their shrine wasn’t known for their dancers for nothing.

“Is it me, or did you make the dance harder than two years ago?” Akihito asked as he wiped his forehead with the small towel around his neck, standing next to the open door to get as much air as possible.

“Of course. We can’t keep doing the same dance every year” Sachiko said and Akihito send her a sideway look.

“But you’re really going to make me do two dances?” he asked and she waved it off, not willing to listen to any arguments because she wouldn’t change her mind anyway.

“You have time to rest between the sword dance and the second one” she said and Akihito looked away with a grimace.

“But the sword-dance is crazy high-paced and the second one can’t really be called a kagura anymore with that many moves” he mumbled to himself, directing his gaze outside.

“Did you say something?” Sachiko asked friendly, though the young priest could clearly hear the warning in her voice, making him tense up.

“Nope, not at all” he responded quickly, if only out of habit before lowering the towel around his neck.

“I’ve got to go now. Oogushi-san called me this morning to ask if I could pass by” he said though it was a lie. However, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to go to the police station. He had promised his son that he’d take care of the spirit haunting Asami and going through the john doe files at the police station was a good place to start investigating.

“Oh? Aren’t you staying for lunch? I was just going to start preparing it” the elderly woman said and Akihito looked up at her before smiling.

“If you are insisting that much, I’d be rude for me to refuse” he answered and she scoffed amused.

“As if you’d ever refuse food” she said fondly as she passed by him, earning a grin from her grandson as he followed after her. However, as soon as he had wolfed down his lunch, he made his way to the police station, once again provoking plenty of stares that he couldn’t care less about. He made sure his scooter was parked correctly, not wanting to get another fine because he was stupid enough not to care how he parked on the parking-lot of the police office, before he entered the building, walking up to the front desk. The young woman dressed in a police uniform looked up at him as he laid his hand down on the heightened counter.

“Inspector Oogushi called me this morning and told me to wait for him in the evidence room” Akihito said, wondering why he had put so much effort in parking correctly if he was going to lie his way into the office anyway. Oh well, one less thing they could punish him for, which was always a good thing. Lord knew that he had gotten in trouble with the cops enough to have his file transferred over from the Kanagawa station, thick enough to make a book of it. It were all petty crimes, but that didn’t change the fact that the police only needed to glance at him to judge him as if he was a criminal. Partly because of this, most of the cops in the office knew his face, one of the reasons the woman allowed him inside, knowing that it wasn’t the first time Oogushi had called the priest over to the office.

Akihito looked with a grim expression at the rows of boxes that each represented a victim in the cold case section, his chest squeezing in sympathy for the families of the people the box belonged. Cold cases were particularly hard for him, knowing that he could solve them all as long as he was able to lay contact with the lost soul. However, there were so many of them that he didn’t know where to start, not to mention that it went in against his rules of using his gift. It always made him feel guilty to be in the cold case evidence room, but he couldn’t escape from it. Besides, he had come down here out of free will because he had something to do, deciding to focus on that as he walked to the computer on the high desk. As he folded his hand over the computer mouse and agitated it, the screen lit up, requesting a name and password. The blonde typed in a letter, selecting the first name that popped up before continuing with the password. Before he could even figure out how to go about hacking into the profile, a hand passed over his shoulder, straight into the screen. The priest looked up startled as the screen glitched, turning his attention to the guardian spirit standing behind him, sending a shiver down his back.

“I could have gotten it” Akihito said and heard the spirit scoff.

[But this went faster, right?]

“This is really a first. A ghost hacking a computer” the blonde grumbled as he turned back to the computer in front of him, glancing up at the door across the room in front of him.

[You know what you’re looking for?]

“Hm. Fei-long told me his name, but it’s highly likely that he’s a john doe here. It’s better to just look according to injuries and see if there’s a case that matches” Akihito answered, typing in the injuries he could remember from Deye Guelo. As the computer searched the system for a similar case, the blonde kept his eyes on the door, waiting nervously for it to open, having no doubt that the receptionist would have informed Oogushi about his arrival.

[There he is.]

Akihito turned back to the screen at the old spirit’s words, his eyes scanning the tittle of the case before moving on to the file-number, reading it a couple of times to memorize it. He startled when he heard the doorknob move, quickly closing the window before logging out. He had barely finished typing in Oogushi’s name in the log-in window as the door opened. The inspector looked slightly startled to see the blonde behind the computer, frowning at him as he closed the door behind him.

“What’re you doing on that computer?” Oogushi asked and Akihito straightened up again, leveling the older man with a dry look.

“I was trying to hack into the server using your name to erase my criminal record” the blonde lied easily and Oogushi scoffed.

“As if you’ll be able to erase a book like that” he said as Akihito moved away from the computer to meet him halfway.

“I’m starting to wonder if you’re clairvoyant now as well, considering I was just going to call you for a case” the inspector said and the blonde blinked surprised. Well, that was unexpected but not necessarily bad. As if his lie had been turned into the truth. Akihito couldn’t help but glance at the spirit next to him in question, receiving only a shake of his head in return, saying that he had nothing to do with it.

“Mah, I just had a hunch. So, what’s the case?” Akihito asked, repeating Guelo’s file-number in his head to keep reminding himself of it. He would need to get Oogushi out of the room so he could look into the evidence box in order to find something, anything, that he could use to separate Guelo from his grudge. It would be hard, but with the right arguments, he might just make it work. The spirit had yet to gain the power to form complete sentences, though he was getting closer every day. Until Akihito had heard what the spirit’s intentions were, the only thing he could do was look for things that might make him cross the bridge. Something that was more important than that grudge to make him let go of it.

“A serial killer” Oogushi said, drawing Akihito’s attention back to the here-and-now, making him grimace. He had heard about that rumor on the news, but the police had refused to give out any information, meaning that according to the news-reports, there was nothing linking the murders together. However, thanks to Akihito’s close connections with the police, it was confirmed for him, though that meant that he would be involved in the investigation.

“Again? What the hell is wrong with Japan? Is this America or something” he said and the older man made an agreeing noise.

“This one’s particular nasty and has to do with missing people” he said and Akihito frowned.

“Don’t tell me that they kidnapped their victims first before they kill them?” he asked and Oogushi nodded.

“But it gets worse” he said before turning towards the boxes, making the blonde follow him as he walked in between the racks in the homicide section.

“Up until now, there have been four victims, all girls who used to be missing for almost a month before they were found. There was clear evidence of imprisonment and malnourishing on their bodies” he said and Akihito hummed, the sound somewhat disgusted.

“Meaning that they were locked up before they were killed” he said and Oogushi nodded, stopping at a specific box.

“The only lead we have on the killer is the fact that he’s a man because all four victims show signs of rape. After they were killed” he added and Akihito resisted the urge to gag as he looked away.

“That’s sick” he said, taking a second to calm his stomach. Seeing dead people was fine, but hearing about brutal murders was a bit much. How odd his mind worked.

“So, why did you want to call me in for, because as far as I hear, there is no connection to something supernatural” Akihito said as he looked back at the older man struggling to get the box off the second highest shelf. Having pity on the man, he reached his arm up, being a little taller than the inspector with a little longer limbs as well, able to hook his fingers into the handle hole and pull the box forward. He caught the weight on the bottom before lowering it, holding it out to the older man who was looking at him with a bitter grimace.

“Unless you want me to try connecting with the spirits of the victims?” Akihito asked, unable to push his lips down from where they wanted to curl up in an amused, smug smile. The balding man harrumphed before he took over the box, holding it on his hip as he turned around.

“Something like that. I don’t know if you’ll find ghosts as the family’s houses, but there is something I want you to look into” he said and Akihito dutifully followed after him as he collected the three other boxes, taking it to the table in the back of the room. The blonde waited patiently until the inspector had taken out the photographs of the corpses. Or at least the thing he wanted Akihito to look into.

“They all had this sign in the back of their neck and I don’t know what it’s about” Oogushi said and Akihito bowed over the pictures with a frown, seeing a circle painted in the back of the victim’s necks with red paint that he heavily suspected to be blood.

“That’s blood, isn’t it?” he asked and Oogushi nodded as he watched the blonde shift the pictures, pulling one closer.

“It’s the blood of the victims themselves” he said and Akihito narrowed his eyes at the picture underneath his fingers.

“It’s like a ceremony for witchcraft” he said and the inspector looked up at him.

“Does that even exist?” he asked and the priest shrugged, his eyes shifting to the next picture.

“I’m not sure and I’m not going to speculate about it either, since it would be hypocritical to rule it out considering my gift” he said before looking up.

“Have you seen this before?” Oogushi asked and Akihito shook his head negative.

“No, not yet, but it made me curious. Can I take these boxes with me to look into them?” he asked as he looked up and the inspector frowned as he looked in the direction of the computer.

“I can’t let you take the evidence, but I can make a copy of the contents” he said and the priest gave a agreeing nod.

“Thanks for doing this again, Takaba. We’re too busy with going through all the missing person files to find someone who matches the criteria to prevent a next victim. It’s hard to do all that and focus on investigating this” he said and the blonde waved it off.

“You pay me for this, remember. Besides, if I can be of help, I’ll gladly do it” he said as followed Oogushi to the computer again. He stood on a little distance from the older man, looking around as the inspector logged in before selecting the needed cases to be printed, the old device in the corner of the room coming to life with lots of protest. As the balding man moved to return the boxes to their place, Akihito turned to the computer. With father Asami reciting the case-number, the blonde managed to add Guelo’s case to the print-list. To prevent the inspector from noticing, he walked to the printed with five manila folders to place the freshly printed files in, keeping them separated. Seeing that the blonde was already busy at the printed, Oogushi returned to the computer to log out again, satisfied when he saw the print loading bar disappear after being completely filled. Akihito held his breath as he glanced at the inspector behind the computer, releasing his breath in a relieved sigh when the man merely logged out without seeing anything suspicious. Still, the blonde wouldn’t be able to calm down until he was home, tucking the manila folders away inside his kimono as he stood next to his scooter.

“Asami-san, can I ask something?” Akihito asked and heard the spirit standing next to him hum inquiring.

“How did you die? Not your injuries, but the cause of it” the blonde asked and glanced sideways at the spirit who looked at him. There was a sort of understanding in the man’s golden eyes that were so much like his son and his grandson that it unnerved Akihito a little, not sure how he would react if Yurihiko looked at him like that. The man could tell even without the blonde saying it out loud that the priest was still worried about remaining with Asami, knowing his job. Akihito didn’t really fear for his own life, but of that of his son, practically seeing the target his parental heritage had painted on his back.

[Let’s just say that my son learned from my mistakes and is less inclined to let his guard down around someone other than Kei and Kazumi. Though that means that it’ll be harder for you as well.]

Akihito looked down at his bike, his hand on his helmet as he hesitated to push it down, feeling uneasy about the implied betrayal that had cost father Asami his life.

[However, Ryuichi is trying desperately to make this work. The last time I saw him this desperate for something was when he was going after the men who killed me. I know that this is hard for you and that you need to think about Yurihiko as well, but I’m glad you are trying too. Ryuichi means well.]

“I know” the blonde said after a short silence before finally pushing his helmet down with a finality as if he had made a decision.

“I guess I’ll just have to make sure that he’s properly doing his job as father and step up my game to pull my weight as Hiko’s mother to protect him as well” he said and gave himself a satisfied nod with that statement before mounting his scooter. Besides, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. Yurihiko was already too attached to his father to be without him. Akihito couldn’t get it over his heart to rip his son away from the raven, even if he had his doubt about this whole situation. He would continue to have them for the rest of his life, he suspected, but everyone had their baggage to carry in life. This would just be his. All he could do about it at this point was make it work and force it to if it didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	14. Marigold.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marigold ;; Winning the affections of someone through hard work. Cruelty and coldness due to jealousy.

“Are you kidding me? Please, tell me you’re kidding me” Akihito said with his gaze locked on the several, rather large gift-wrapped presents standing in the living-room next to the TV. There were seven birthday gifts in total, one for every year Asami had missed. There was a BMX bike, Heelys shoes, a kick scooter, a stack of new clothing, a stack of new books, a watch and a kit for Yurihiko to grow his own bug-eating plants. Judging by the look on the blonde’s face, he believed Asami had gone overboard, but the raven cared little for it. He had missed six of his son’s birthdays and he wasn’t planning on missing any more than that. Buying seven gifts was just something he had done out of selfish reasons.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he knows he’ll only be getting one next year. This is just to make up for the years I’ve missed” the crime-lord responded and Akihito regarded him before sighing deeply as he closed his eyes, letting his head hang.

“If you say it like that, I can’t say anything back, can I” he mumbled before straightening up.

“I’m going to start on the cake. If I’m going to be ready by four, I’ll need every hour I can spare” he said and Asami grabbed his wrist, preventing the younger man from walking away. Akihito looked up with an inquiring, somewhat confused hum that was muffled against the crime-lord’s lips that pressed against his own in a kiss that was too long to be called a peck.

“Can you spare one hour for me?” Asami asked and the priest shoved him away with a half-hearted jab of his elbow into the older man’s gut.

“I can’t. I have to bake a cake and decorate it for those monsters that you’ve invited over for a birthday party” he said and the raven wasn’t letting go yet, as if he hadn’t had enough the night before, when he had coaxed the blonde into the soundproof room.

“I could just get Kirishima to buy one. Problem solved” the older man said and Akihito rolled with his eyes.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s tradition, not to mention cheaper” he said, managing to detangle himself from the raven’s grip only because the crime-lord allowed it.

“Go wake Yurihiko up. I’m sure he’ll want to open those presents before he goes to school” Akihito said and Asami watched his retreating back before turning towards the hallway to wake up his son. He opened the door carefully, peeking inside to see the young blonde lying diagonally on his bed, one leg up in the air with his foot placed on the wall, his arms hold above his head as if he had just finishing screaming banzai. The sight was not foreign to Asami, but he was still just as surprised as the first time he saw his son’s sleeping positions, chuckling softly as he entered the room as quietly as possible. The bed dipped underneath his weight as he sat down next to his the child, reaching out to brush the messy strands off blonde locks away from closed eyes.

“Yurihiko. Wake up, kiddo” Asami said in a voice that was no doubt too soft to actually wake the blonde up, not even getting a single rustle out of the young child.

“Mom’s making breakfast” he said, and that one did get a rise out of his son, seeing him lift his head slightly without opening his eyes, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. Asami forced down a chuckle even when the corners of his lips curled up into a smile.

“There are apple pie cinnamon rolls in the oven” the raven said and saw Yurihiko try to open his eyes almost desperately.

“Apple pie cinnamon rolls?” he mumbled, nearly unintelligibly in a sleepy tone. This time, the crime-lord couldn’t prevent himself from chuckling as he moved his shifted his hands underneath the blonde’s armpits as Yurihiko finally managed to open his eyes halfway, moving to sit on the older man’s lap.

“Eat or sleep, pick one. You can’t do both at the same time” Asami said as he shifted his hand to his son’s back when the blonde buried his head in his neck.

“Says who” Yurihiko mumbled and the crime-lord scoffed amused as he rubbed the blonde’s back.

“Everyone alive?” he responded and Yurihiko scoffed.

“Of course it’s possible. It’s called sleep-eating. It’s not like anyone died from it before. At least not anyone that I met” he responded sleepily, but slowly waking up. Asami chuckled at the blonde’s words that sounded like sleep-talk.

“Okay, I’ll admit that it exists, but mom won’t be happy if you try it. He’s put a lot of effort in making it especially because it’s your birthday. Do you really want to disappoint him by sleeping through the breakfast he made?” he asked and Yurihiko immediately lifted his head from the raven’s shoulder to look at his father, his eyes still half-lidded but somewhat clearer.

“Birthday? Oh, that’s right, it’s my birthday” the blonde said, a sleepy smile appearing on his lips that made Asami lean forward to place a fond kiss on his son’s forehead.

“That’s right. There are presents waiting for you in the living room. Want to go check them out?” he asked and Yurihiko perked up, suddenly more awake as his eyes widened.

“Presents?!” he parroted surprised and the crime-lord hummed with a light smile on his hips.

“Mom scolded me because I bought too much, but I bought one for each birthday I missed” Asami said and Yurihiko seemed to get a glow as he inhaled deeply at the announcement of having more than one present. Seeing the outburst flicker behind the blonde’s golden eyes, he placed his son on the ground, allowing to race out of the room.

“Mom! Mom! Dad bought me present!” Yurihiko informed the blonde in the kitchen as he ran towards him, making Asami shake his head fondly as he stood up.

“Dad! Dad! Mom’s making apple pie cinnamon rolls!” the young blonde exclaimed as he raced back towards the hallways where Asami stepped out, nearly crashing into the raven.

“I told you so, didn’t I?” the raven reminded him as he steadied the blonde, having a feeling that his son hadn’t been awake enough to process his words correctly when he had said it.

“So, the presents are true too?!” Yurihiko asked and Asami nodded, unable to answer vocally before the blonde raced off again, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to the living area.

“And so it begins” Akihito said as he stepped out of the kitchen, looking at his son’s retreating back with a suffering look. Asami looked at him as the blonde stopped next to him, wiping his hands on the towel hanging from his waist.

“Brace yourself. It’s going to be a long” the priest warned and the older man regarded him.

“You’re overreacting” he said as he slid his arm around the blonde’s waist, pleased when the smaller male allowed him to, even leaning into the touch.

“I’m not, trust me” he said as he looked up at the raven with a tired but fond smile on his lips that the older man couldn’t help but kiss. Akihito sighed into the kiss, allowing his lower lip to be captured by the raven’s mouth as he reached one hand up to land in the older man’s nape, his fingertips spread and adding just the right amount of pressure to draw goose-bumps to the surface. For how much the blonde complained about Asami knowing exactly how to play him, Asami could repeat those exact same words back to him, pulling the blonde firmer into his own body, feeling the way it curved into him as their lips molded together languidly. The sound of approaching footsteps had them break apart before they could take it further, looking at the door-opening of the living-room without stepping away from each other or taking their hands back.

“Mom, dad! Can I open them all? Which one should I open first?” Yurihiko asked excited, not caring that he was interrupting. Or maybe he was just too excited to notice, even when he was normally so perceptive about it. It was funny to both his parents who gave him an amused huff.

“Just pick one. I’m surprised you’ve waited to ask for permission” Akihito said as he stepped away from the older man to follow after their son. The sound of wrapping paper ripping resounded even before he had reached the door-opening, seeing the colorful paper fly left and right without care as Yurihiko all but dove into his presents. The older blonde was quick to pick up the paper so he wouldn’t have to later when there was a sea of it as the little blond looked up with sparkling eyes.

“Mom! Dad! It’s a watch!” Yurihiko exclaimed as he held up the see-through light blue digital ohsen sport watch to show his parents behind him, as if Asami hadn’t been the one to buy the gift himself. Because he had been busy, Kirishima had suggested to leave the birthday gift shopping to him, but the crime-lord had refused. This was something he couldn’t let his subordinates do for him.

“I know” the raven said as Akihito stepped forward to crouch down next to his son.

“Want me to put it on?” he asked and was nearly knocked back by the eagerness with which the child thrust the watch into his face while nodding so fast, he looked like one of those bobble-heads. The older blonde chuckled as he took over the watch before wrapping it around the outstretched hand of his son who admired the watch on his wrist for a few counts before he turned his attention to the next gift. Akihito stood up with a chuckle before turning to the older man with a smile.

“Alright, so a watch isn’t that bad of a gift” he said and Asami regarded him, the corner of his lips turning up into a little smile that screamed smugness, something that earned a roll of hazel eyes. Their attention however, was drawn quickly after when Yurihiko ripped open his second gift, eager to know what was inside the wrapping that he couldn’t care less about, leaving his mother to clean up after him. Asami’s worry that his son might not like any of the gifts was ungrounded and proven untrue when the little blonde’s reaction got more excited with each gift, to the point the raven wondered if he might faint. It seemed as if Akihito had the same worry, successfully calming the little blonde down for long enough to eat, though he went back to being excited right after.

“I’ll pick up Hiko at school with Jii-sama and Baa-sama and take them to the trampoline park” Akihito said, holding onto the handle of the little blonde’s backpack to stop him from racing out of the elevator before it had even reached ground-floor, wanting nothing more than to brag to his friends about the gifts he had gotten.

“Hm. I’ll see you there after I’m finished with work” Asami responded, raising his hand to the blonde’s nape, the soft strands of hair brushing his fingers as Akihito tilted his head up to meet the raven’s lips in a kiss that both of them had already gotten more than used to. The priest’s lower lip was a willing captive even if it was only for a short moment until the elevator stopped and they parted again.

“Laters!” Yurihiko exclaimed, not even taking the time to properly see his father off before he dragged his mother out of the elevators as soon as the doors had opened enough to let him out, forcing Akihito to twist sideways to prevent himself from smacking face-first into the opening doors. Asami chuckled softly at the blonde scolding their son who was too excited to hear it, not that the priest was actually annoyed with the little monkey. As the trio stepped outside of the building, Yurihiko’s guards bowed their heads at Asami before following after the blonde duo, leaving the crime-lord in the capable hands of Kirishima. Ones he freed by dropping several leather-bound files into the golden-eyed man’s arms, earning a dry look.

“If you wish to be finished before Yurihiko-sama’s party, you will need all the time you can get” the bespectacled raven said while pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, not at all apologetic for dumping all the work onto his boss before they were even at the office, or at least in the car. However, Asami couldn’t complain when he knew it would have taken Kirishima some time to order all his work for the day by priority so it would be easier for him to go through it.

So, instead of complain, Asami got to work as soon as he sat in the car, finishing at least two of the leather-bound files before they had reached the office building. He handed them over to Kirishima as they made their way inside, taking the elevator up to the highest floor. He opened the third file even before he had entered his office, blindly walking out of the elevator and into his work-space where he stayed cooped up until Kirishima had to take him out for a business-meeting. If it wasn’t for the bespectacled man, Asami would have likely skipped lunch, just because he forgot to think about it. However, considering his subordinate brought up a bento that was made by Akihito, who didn’t want to come up in fear of disturbing the raven during his work, Asami had no other choice but to eat the entire thing instead of a few bites in between his paperwork. It was something Kirishima seemed to be extremely pleased about and Asami couldn’t deny that he was pleased as well.

The blonde was almost acting like his wife and he saw no issue with it at all. Though, he was sure the omega would make a big deal out of it and throw a fit if the crime-lord said even a single word that could possibly imply this kind of relationship between them. They had gotten comfortable around each other and Akihito was no longer resisting his advances, not even vocally, so the alpha was confident to say that they were dating. Or at least seeing each other exclusively, if Akihito really refused to label their relationship. But the blonde had no intention of becoming Asami’s wife and the crime-lord didn’t see a problem with that, had no urge to change that any time soon. He was satisfied enough with being unlabeled as long as Akihito still belonged to him. A label like wife or husband would only paint a bigger target on his back and that of their son, which was the last thing Asami wanted to do.

“Sir, we should leave now, if we still want to make it on time” Kirishima suggested as he peeked his head into the office where Asami was already getting up from behind his desk, his finished paperwork organized cleanly on top of the mahogany wood.

“Let’s go. I’m not taking any work-calls anymore, so direct them through when they come in” the crime-lord said as he walked up to the door that the bespectacled man pushed open further.

“Already taken care of, sir” he said Kirishima said, once again reminding Asami why he was so lucky to have the man as high right hand. Instead of the short limo the man had come to pick him up with, Kirishima has prepared the BMW instead, a little less eye-catching but just as sleek black. However, even if the car was smaller, it didn’t get them through traffic any faster, making the raven worry that he might be too late to his own son’s birthday-party. He breathed a relieved sigh when he could see children the same age as Yurihiko enter the trampoline park, flanked by their parents.

“I’ll park the car, sir” Kirishima said, stopping the car in front of the building to allow the crime-lord to step out so he didn’t have to deal with driving around longer, looking for a parking spot. Asami took the suggestion, getting out of the car before unbuttoning his blazer as he walked up to the entrance of the building. Once he had entered the trampoline park, it wasn’t hard to find the people he was looking for. He could hear Yurihiko squeal in pleasure, already on the trampolines with his classmates, while Akihito was fussing around his grandparents, making sure they were seated comfortably and that their glasses were filled. Asami remembered how intimidating the two elderly had been when he had first met them and doubted they needed this kind of mothering treatment from their grandson, but he guessed that this just showed how much Akihito respected and loved them.

“Ah, Asami-san” Sachiko said as she took notice of the raven’s approach, making Akihito and Hidenori look up as well.

“Sachiko-san, Hidenori-san, I hope it’s not too loud for you” Asami said in a manner of greeting and Hidenori huffed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“We’re old and going deaf, so don’t worry about our hearing. You’ll be getting a head-ache before we do” he pointed out and Akihito scoffed amused.

“Please, you’re not that old” he said before turning to the raven who stepped up next to him, laying his hand on the blonde’s lower back.

“And I’ve already prepared paracetamol enough for when we get home” he said and Asami felt his chest warm up fondly at hearing the omega talk so comfortably about ‘their home’. He scratched his fingers against the blonde’s back, half-way fisting his hand before stretching his fingers again, the gesture an acknowledgement to what the smaller male had said.

“Dad!” Asami heard his son call out to him, making him remove his hand from Akihito’s back and turn around to catch the young blonde who launched himself towards him. With a little swing, the raven lifted Yurihiko onto his hip, allowing him to settle there as he moved his arm underneath the little monkey’s body to support him, feeling Yurhiko curl his arms around his neck.

“This is awesome! The best birthday ever! No offence, mom, Jiijii, Baabaa!” the excited boy said, throwing the last bit over his shoulder at the Takabas before turning his attention back to his father.

“There are trampolines! My friends are here! Jiijii is here! Baabaa is here! Mom is here and you are here! And Jii-chan will come too! He promised me! Not to mention that mom made cake! Have you seen it yet?! It’s huge! It has three levels! I already tasted it! You know, to check for poison!” Yurihiko continued to rant excitedly, seemingly forgetting to breath.

“Eish! I was the one who made that cake! Why would I try to poison you?” Akihito exclaimed but Yurihiko had no ears for it, instead hearing a soft but definitely girly voice call out for him from the trampolines.

“Sorry, gotta go. My princess is calling for me” he said, kicking his legs lightly to get Asami to put him down again. He ran back to the trampolines, taking the girl’s hand as soon as he had reached her, pulling her with him.

“Hmm? I thought that Hina was his princess?” Sachiko asked Akihito who was sending his son a somewhat troubled yet amused smile.

“He has about ten of them” he answered and Hidenori barked a laugh.

“Aren’t that all the girls in his class?” he asked and Akihito gave Asami a sideway look.

“I blame it on the genes” he said and the crime-lord raised an eyebrow while Hidenori smirked.

“His or yours?” he asked, prompting a blush from the blonde who turned his attention to his grandfather.

“I wasn’t that bad!” he said and Sachiko chuckeld.

“Sure you were” she said and her husband had no trouble playing in on it.

“I remember you were going out with three girls at the same time, two of who were sisters. And when they found out, you suggested a threesome, which your parents walked in on. Your neighbors still haven’t forgiven you for that drama at two in the morning” Hidenori said, clearly amused as Akihito buried his face in his hand, looking pointedly away from the raised eyebrow Asami was regarding him with.

“Well, you caught my attention” the raven said and greying man smirked at him.

“I’ve got a lot more where that came from” he assured the crime-lord, though Akihito was quick to step in between them, bodily so.

“And you will keep them there! He doesn’t need to hear my history” he said, looking at his grandfather. Asami smirked as he lifted his hand, trailing his fingers up the blonde’s nape that was looking just as red as his ears, earning a surprised shriek from the omega who jumped away from him with wide eyes and his hand covering his nape.

“Doesn’t need to doesn’t meant that I don’t want to. I’m very interested in your history” the crime-lord said and Akihito narrowed his eyes.

“Too bad you’ll never got to hear about it then” he said and Asami turned to Hidenori instead.

“Weren’t we talking about sharing some sake last time?” he asked and the greying man chuckled, smiling like a cat who got the cream, making Akihito frown in confusion.

“Huh? Last time? Drinking sake?” he parroted and looked up at the entrance when he noticed someone approaching him, his expression freezing up at the sight of the raven haired male. Asami and the two eldest Takabas followed his line of gaze, seeing a man with short black hair and warm brown eyes walk up to them, looking only a few years older than Asami himself. There were barely any resemblances between Akihito and the man, but it was obvious that the raven was related to Hidenori.

“Otou-san” Akihito said, his voice so cold it was almost detached, much to Asami’s surprise. It was the first time he had heard that kind of tone from his lover and he could already say that he disliked it. It didn’t fit the blonde, though the smaller raven seemed used to it as he smiled at the blonde.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Akihito” he said as he reached out to give his son a hug, a gesture that looked like it wasn’t about to be returned until the blonde reluctantly lifted his hands. It was such a difference from what the crime-lord was used to his lover that he would almost think Akihito was a different person.

“Almost two years” the priest answered as he separated from his father, leveling him with a blank look that didn’t fit his usually feisty hazel eyes.

“Mom, dad” the raven said as he turned to his parents who greeted him with a warm smile and a welcoming hug, though not as warmly as they treated Akihito who lowered his gaze to the ground, his brightness seemingly fading away in a way Asami already disliked, even when he didn’t know what the reason was.

“Otou-san, this is Asami Ryuichi” Akihito said, unexpectedly taking the initiative to introduce Asami, unlike what the raven expected. The smaller raven turned to the crime-lord, recognition lighting up in his warm brown eyes for several reasons.

“You must be Yurihiko’s father. I’m Yoshio, Akihito’s father” he said, reaching into his back-pocket to retrieve his business-card holder, taking a card out to hold out towards the bigger raven. Asami reached into the inside pocket of his blazer to retrieve one of his own cards, his eyes landing immediately on the contents of the man’s card. A criminal photographer.

“Asami Ryuichi” he said, as he exchanged the card despite being introduced by the blonde just seconds before.

“What about your wife?” Asami asked, having taken notice of the silver band on Yoshio’s finger. His question however, made Akihito’s face pale almost instantly.

“That bitch isn’t welcome here” Sachiko answered in an unusual display of sharpness before her son could. Yoshio seemed to flinch as Akihito swallowed thickly next to the crime-lord.

“Obaa-sama” the blonde said in an almost weak tone at his grandmother’s harsh language, the way he spoke and referred to his grandparents completely different from the way he acted towards his father. However, it seemed like the mention of Akihito’s mother had set something off inside the normally bubbly old lady, something Asami had the feeling he needed to hear.

“No, Aki-boy, I can’t stand that woman and Yoshio knows it. I can’t believe she even once called herself a mother when she threw you out when you needed her most. That’s not what a mother does” she said and Yoshio frowned at her.

“Mom” he said, a little sharper than Akihito but flinched back when Sachiko leveled him with a glare.

“No, Yoshio, I’m not changing my mind about her. Our Aki-boy needed her to support him and she called him a whore before telling him that he was no longer her son. She doesn’t deserve to call herself a mother if she’s just going to throw her son away when he makes one mistake and is prepared to take responsibility for it. Our Aki-boy is more of a mother than she has ever been. How dare she act like she is in the right, keeping even you away from your grandson” she ranted and Akihito kept his head down as Hidenori laid his hand on his wife’s knee to calm her down.

“That’s enough, Sachiko. Yoshio knows how we feel and he’s trying his best too. Let’s not sour the little monkey’s birthday party by digging up old skeletons” he said and Yoshio gave a troubled smile.

“He’s right mother. You’re almost as good as digging up skeletons as Akihito is” he said and from the corner of his eye, Asami could see his lover tense up, his eyes widening slightly as his face paled even further.

“Though Akihito always claimed that those skeletons were real” the smaller raven said before turning to Asami, his tone of voice making it clear that he was trying to lighten to mood.

“He’s always had a lively imagination when he was young. He used to have crazy imaginary friends with even crazier back-stories that so detailed, it seemed almost real. Akihito firmly believed that they were up until he turned thirteen” he said with a chuckle as he shook his head.

“I was glad when he stopped acting as if everything he imagined was real, but then the real trouble started when he was caught with his school-nurse. I almost wanted him to go back to being so obsessed about his imaginary friends, claiming he could see ghosts” he continued and Asami narrowed his eyes slightly at the man in confusion, remembering the odd things Yurihiko said or did at times. However, before he could question anything, his attention was drawn by the blonde next to him as he turned away.

“Akihito?” Yoshio asked surprised as the priest walked away as fast as he could without actually running.

“Good job, Yoshio” Hidenori commented dryly as Yurihiko looked up in confusion where he was jumping in circle with his friends, moving his gaze from his mother’s back to his father.

“I’ll-”

“I’ve got it” Asami said, cutting the smaller raven off before he could take a step forward.

“Yurihiko was excited about being able to see you. Leave Akihito to me” he said, turning away from the man who apparently, couldn’t read the mood. He followed after his lover where he had gone to the rest-rooms, opening the door to see the blonde lean onto the sink counter with his arms spread, his head hanging down in between them as he supported most of his weight on one leg, the other bend. At the sound of someone entering the room, the blonde looked up, relaxing when he recognized the crime-lord who locked the door behind him to give them a little privacy.

“You didn’t need to come, you know” Akihito said and Asami walked closer to him, stopping next to the priest.

“Think you can calm down?” the raven asked and the younger male looked up at him, the hurt and stress clear in his eyes even when he tried to hide it. He straightened up, reaching out for the crime-lord’s nape to pull him down. Asami didn’t resist as the blonde connected their lips but he didn’t make any move to wrap the smaller male up in his arms like he usually did either. He calmly responded to the omega’s kiss, keeping his eyes open to look into the priest’s half-lidded ones, holding his gaze even when they separated.

“How about you help me calm down?” the blonde asked, extending an open invitation that Asami would have accepted in any other situation. He was sure he could give the blonde and himself a quick trip to heaven and they wouldn’t exactly miss them for ten minutes after Akihito’s dramatic exit. However, Asami didn’t want to use sex as a way for Akihito to punish himself.

“Your mother called you a whore when she found out you were pregnant from me?” the alpha guessed and Akihito sighed deeply as he let his hands slide down from the man’s neck, moving to take a step backwards but prevented from doing so when the crime-lord’s arms wound around his waist. He went willingly as Asami leaned back against the sink, pulling the blonde in between his spread legs.

“No, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t even know I was pregnant until I was delivering Yurihiko in a stall of a public restroom” Akihito said and Asami regarded him, entwining his fingers against his lover’s lower back, feeling the blonde’s hands settle on his side in response.

“I was already holding him in my arms when the ambulance nurses arrived, but they took him away immediately when we arrived at the hospital. I was left in a room alone without knowing how he was doing after I gave birth to him in such a unhygienic place. My dad fainted when he heard the news, but he was a lot more openminded than my mother. By the time she arrived, I had barely named him and Ojii-sama had just gotten to hold him. From the second I told her that Hiko was mine, she asked me who I spread my legs for and flat-out call me a whore before throwing me out of the house” Akihito explained and Asami felt a sense of guilt that the blonde had gone through that alone. However, he wasn’t sure how he would have reacted back at that time, if things had been different and if he had known. He wasn’t going to lie and say that he would have been there for Akihito like he was now, because he didn’t know how he would have reacted.

“It’s a bit of an understatement to say that the bond with my mother is bad. It had been bad before that, but now she won’t even look at me anymore, unless it’s to vent her anger on me when she accidentally walks into me on the street” the blonde said, fisting his hands in the fabric of the crime-lord’s expressive blazer as he lowered his head.

“I don’t want her to react this way to Yurihiko. I don’t want her to make him feel guilty for being born. I don’t want him to hear her call him the son of a good-for-nothing whore like she does to me in the rare times I see her” he said and Asami pulled him closer, allowing him to rest his forehead against the older man’s collarbones as he fought to hold his tears back.

“If I hear her call him that, I will put her in place. If you want to rant about it later, when we’re alone, I’ll listen to you as much as you want. But for now, pull yourself together. This is Yurihiko’s birthday and he loves you too much not to notice and be affected by it if you’re anything but happy” Asami said and both heard and felt the blonde inhale a deep breath, knowing that the raven was right. The alpha gave his lover a few seconds to pull himself together like told before he lifted his head to look at the older man. Instead of saying anything, the priest pushed himself up to the tips of his feet, pressing his lips against the crime-lord’s who welcomed the gesture with more eagerness than previously. Much too soon for his liking, they separated again, looking at each other before Akihito averted his gaze.

“Thanks” he said before stepping away from the raven to straighten out his clothes as Asami reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes, shaking one out of it.

“Is an active imagination and ghosts genetically hereditary?” the raven asked, making the blonde tense up before looking up at him, meeting his gaze head-on. He placed the cigarette between his lips, lighting the end without looking away from his lover.

“Remember the deal we made when I agreed to let you meet Yurihiko? About not asking him anything about the things that confuse you? This is one of those questions” Akihito said firmly and Asami hummed as he narrowed his eyes slightly, exhaling the smoke from his lungs.

“I suspected as much. You did say that I would recognize them when I got them. But I do want an answer to them” he said and the blonde looked away.

“Not now” he said and Asami took enough with that, for now, allowing the blonde to escape the restrooms. Much to Asami’s surprise, the door opened again, but this time for a different Takaba.

“Am I disturbing?” Yoshio asked and Asami regarded him coolly.

“It’s the restroom” he answered as the man stepped further inside. Asami continued to smoke his cigarette as the older man went through the motions of urinating.

“Asami-san, may I ask you something?” Yoshio finally decided to break the silence as he walked over to the sink next to the crime-lord.

“I don’t plan on staying away from Akihito and Yurihiko, if that’s what you’re going to ask” Asami said bluntly and the man shook his head.

“No, that wasn’t what I was going to ask. I’ve long lost the privilege of having an opinion on who my son chooses to see. I think I lost that authority when he was thirteen and staying over at the houses of other women half of the time, including some of Hanako’s colleagues, just to escape home” he said without looking up from the water running over his hands.

“I just… He seems to listen to you, to an extent. More than he listens to me, at least” he said and turned off the water to pull his hanky out of his pocket, using it to wipe his hands dry as Asami waited for the man to get to the point.

“I want to try and mend the bond between Akihito and his mother” Yoshio said as he stuffed his hanky back into his pocket, looking up at the crime-lord whose gaze turned cold at the suggestion.

“You don’t have to count on my help for that” he said, flat-out refusing the photographer’s request while narrowing his eyes.

“As I hear it, your wife abandoned her own son when he only needed her support and acceptance. She didn’t, meaning that she was the one to fuck the bond between them, meaning that she is also the one who should make the effort to mend it again. Not continue to talk down on Akihito and call both him and my son names” Asami said and held the man’s gaze.

“If I ever hear her call my lover a whore and my son the son of a whore, I will wash her mouth with soap” he warned and Yoshio regarded him before sighed.

“I guess it was too much to ask, after all” he said, roughing up his short hair as he looked down.

“I won’t ask again and I understand where you’re coming from, but I still want to try to connect them again” Yoshio said and Asami moved his cigarette from between his lips.

“As is your right to try” he said and the older man lowered his hand with a huff, as if he wanted to reenergize himself again.

“Still, I’m glad you and Yurihiko are getting along so well and that Akihito has you to fall back on” he said and Asami merely gave a nod, watching once again as the second Takaba left the restroom, leaving him alone. For a second, he expected the third one to walk in but scoffed at himself as he pushed off from the sink, reaching into his pocket for his portable ashtray to put his cigarette butt in. Since he was in the restroom anyway, he relieved himself before turning to the sink again, but this time to wash his hands. He glanced up at the round mirror above the sink shortly, forced to do a double take when it seemed like there was someone standing behind his shoulder, in the gap of the open stall-door. Confused and feeling strangely on edge, he looked over his shoulder, frowning when he saw nothing.

“Ghosts. As if” he muttered to himself, looking back in front of him, directly at the mirror. His heart seemed to stop in his chest as he saw a reflection in the mirror that wasn’t his own, his blood freezing in his veins even before he could realize what or who he was seeing. He stumbled back when the mirror cracked, half a second before it seemed to explode, small shards flying out towards him, hitting his chest harmlessly before falling to the ground. His cheek hadn’t gotten so lucky, but it was barely a pin-prick of a cut, a tiny drop of blood pearling up at the edge of the small line that marred his cheek.

“W-what happened?” one of the workers asked as he peeked his head inside, likely having been close by enough to heard the mirror explode. Asami mindlessly died his hands, looking at the frame of the broken mirror where it had fallen on the sink counter.

“The mirror fell from the hook and shattered” the raven lied, not sure how to explain what had happened otherwise.

“Oh no! Did you get hurt? You’re bleeding” the young man said and Asami waved it off, wiping away the blood from his cheek with his handkerchief.

“Just clean this up before any of the kids enter” he said, brushing past the young man to exit the restroom, unsure if he was able to believe what had happened. He was inclined to deny that it had, preferring to focus on his son and his birthday than on the throbbing in his back. However, when he looked in the mirror that night, wondering why the water had stung his back so much, he found three somewhat light scratch-marks on his shoulder-blade that hadn’t been there and couldn’t have been made by Akihito. The blonde hadn’t even been able to touch his back when he was being fucked face-down into the mattress.


	15. Narcissus.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Narcissus ;; Future misfortune. Arrival of spring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and the OCs!  
> I hope you like it.

“Your foot-position was off on the fourth move, but you know that already, don’t you?” Sachiko said as soon as Akihito had stepped off the stage, grimacing at himself for the slight slip-up he had made. Everything had gone perfect, except for that one thing he usually never had a problem with. However, the dance had been high-paced and he had been excited, meaning that he had been swept up in the moment. He could still hear the deafening cheering and applause from the crowd behind him as he pushed aside several layers of fabric to prevent himself from stepping on them, revealing the red hakama underneath. The fabric was heavy on his shoulders, dark in color with a bright peony print, his sleeves long enough to nearly reach his ankles if he let his arms dangle at his sides, his hands completely hidden.

However, weighing more than the fabric of his attire, was the black wig on top of his head, a long ponytail hanging down his back to make him appear more like a shrine maiden instead of priest. The red rimming his eyes and coloring his lips only added to that femininity, but Akihito was glad he had been able to talk his grandmother out of painting his face white as well. He couldn’t wait to get out of his clothes, feeling the sweat drip off his face and soaking into the fabric on his back, armpits and other places he’d rather not have any sweat.

“I know. You don’t need to rub it in” the priest said and looked up when he saw his son run up to him, still dressed in the hakama he had danced in before when opened the festival at the shrine. He was followed by a friend who hesitated a little the closer they got, stopping just within hearing distance but looking like he felt out of place.

“Mom!” Yurihiko called out happily before launching himself at his mother who caught him easily despite the sudden attack that forced him to drop his fan.

“Your dance was amazing! You looked so cool!” the little blonde exclaimed, his eyes sporting the same red corners as his mother’s eyes as he grinned brightly at his mother.

“Is that so? Well, thank you, little monkey” the older blonde said fondly as he shifted his son to his hip, supporting his weight on his arm.

“Ne, ne, can I stay over at Kazui’s tonight? I promise I’ll behave!” Yurihiko asked and Akihito narrowed his eyes though the smile stayed on his lips, glancing shortly at the mentioned boy.

“Really? Will you really?” he asked and the little blonde nodded his head vigorously.

“Uhn! I will! Promise!” Yurihiko said and the priest regarded him, switching his attention between the two boys before sighing softly.

“Alright. You can stay over with him. But first, I’ll call Kazui’s parents to see if it’s okay with them” he gave in and Yurihiko cheered with a fist pump, making a little dance of joy as he was placed back on the ground. Sachiko held out his phone to him with a smile before distracting the little blonde and his friend so Akihito could call Kazui’s parents without Yurihiko yelling through it.

“And? What did they say?” the young child asked excited as he noticed his mother had closed the call and lowered his phone away from his ear, looking up at him together with his friend, both waiting impatiently for his answer.

“They were fine with it” Akihito said and crouched down in front of the little blonde before he could get too excited.

“But I don’t want to hear any complaints that you were misbehaving or unfriendly. Remember to thank them properly for allowing you to stay over and don’t make a mess” the priest said in a warning tone and Yurihiko saluted at him.

“Roger!” he said and Akihito reached forward to press his lips against his son’s forehead, leaving a barely visible put present mark where his red lipstick had given off.

“Why don’t you walk them home? It’s on your way, right?” Sachiko suggested and Akihito looked up at her as Yurihiko and Kazui turned towards each other.

“But what about clean-up? The festival isn’t over yet” he said  as he moved to stand up, pushing off with his hands on his knees as the bubbly old lady smiled reassuringly.

“It’ll be fine, Aki-boy. You’ve worked hard enough for today” she said before a little bit of worry entered her eyes.

“You’ve been exhausted a lot lately, haven’t you? I know you’re working hard on that case and at the shrine, so you should take the rest of the week off to rest up. Hidenori is worried too” she said and Akihito tensed. He had hoped he would have been able to hide it better, but apparently he hadn’t. It was true, thought. He had been feeling exhausted a lot lately, sleeping whenever he found the least bit of time in between rehearsing for the festival dances and trying to solve both the case of the serial killer and the spirit haunting Asami. With all that on his plate, it was no wonder that he was exhausted, but he couldn’t rest just yet. Not until he had taken care of the last two things on his to-do list. The serial killer had made another victim only two days ago, something they had kept a minute of silence for before kicking off the festivities. And no matter how much Asami tried to hide it, Akihito wasn’t blind to the bruises and scratches that showed up on his skin after Deye Guelo touched him. A good night’s rest would have to wait until those two worries were solved, but that didn’t mean he was ungrateful for his grandparents’ consideration.

“I’ll take you up on the offer of a short vacation then. Thank you” the blonde said with a grateful smile though his grandmother knew that Akihito wasn’t taking time off until he had finished his business.

“Alright, kiddos. I’ll walk you home” the priest said as he turned to the two kids, holding out his hands in invitation. Yurihiko eagerly accepted his mother’s hand while Kazui was shyer about it, keeping his head down with a little smile. It was strange to Akihito how his explosive son had managed to find a best friend in someone as shy and quiet as Kazui, but he was glad to see that they were friends and that Yurihiko didn’t hesitate to stand up for his friend who was too hesitant to do it for himself. He just wondered if Kazui would tell the little blonde about the mark on his forehead.

After dropping the two children off with Kazui’s parents and assuring them that he would be picking his son up the next morning again, Akihito made his way home. Kazui’s parents had told him that his son could borrow clothes from Kazui like they usually did during a sleep-over, so that was one thing less the blonde needed to worry about. The fact that Yurihiko would be out of the house for the night was something good for him, so he could focus on the serial killer case without being distracted by his son who he needed to keep busy. He knew Asami wasn’t home either, considering he had seen the man before, during his sword-dance when the crime-lord had been in the crowd with Yurihiko on his shoulders. Akihito hadn’t really gotten any time to greet his lover because his samurai ancestor had held him up to both congratulate him on his dance but point him out on the tiny mistakes he had made at the same time. Because it had been a while since they had talked, the blonde had taken his time to have a conversation with his long-haired, dead doubleganger.

His suspicions were confirmed when he entered an empty penthouse, turning on the lights while stepping out of his zori sandals, continuing further on his socks only. He made his way to the bathroom, reaching up to take the pins securing his wigs out of his hair. By the time he entered the room h had been going for, he was able to take the wig off, carefully placing it on the sink counter for lack of having a mannequin head for it. Still, the sudden lightness of his head made him heave a relieved sigh. He couldn’t wait to have the same feeling all over, quickly shedding his kimonos but carefully folding them up next to the wig. He rubbed his neck, craning his head from left to right and hearing his spine crack as he made his way to the shower. The warm water raining down on his shoulders massaged his sore muscles, making him close his eyes to take a few minutes to enjoy it, nearly lulled to sleep by the cozy temperature.

He all but dragged himself out of the shower, the cold air helping him to wake up a little again. He dried himself off quickly before wrapping the towel around his waist, going to the master bedroom to take some clothes out of the closet Asami had bought for his stuff. Knowing he wasn’t going to leave home for today, Akihito didn’t care about what he pulled on, taking out a long sleeved oversized T that he pulled over his head first before stepping into a pair of grey joggings, forgoing underwear because he knew he would be sleeping naked anyway. He dumped his used, damp towel in the hamper before going to Asami’s home-office. For all the work the crime-lord did, he barely used the room and had Akihito allowed to use it as he liked as well, an invitation the blonde wasn’t going to refuse. Alas, he had palmed in an entire wall of the room and the mini-fridge.

He popped an ice-cube into his mouth as he crouched in front of the black fridge standing on the floor, looking at the contents to judge what he felt like eating most. He pulled out a peach vanilla ice-cream tub even when his eyes were glued to the kit-kat bars stacked up against the wall. With a shrug, he took a package out of the fridge as well before closing it, taking a spoon from the mug next to the coffee machine. Biting down on the half-molten ice-cube in his mouth, he opened the ice-cream tub and the kit-kat package, taking the chocolate bar out of it to break it into smaller pieces that he dropped into his ice-cream.

Shoving the first spoonful of ice-cream into his mouth, Akihito turned to the files he had hung on the wall, attached to several cords with cloth pins. There were quite a few papers, hung up in what seemed to be a chaos but an ordered one. At least in Akihito’s eyes, which was all that counted. Besides the cold case files that hung up, including the pictures of the evidence that was collected from the last victim that had fallen only a few days ago, were several files he had printed from occult and witch-craft sites. Half of it sounded bat-shit-crazy to the blonde, but he couldn’t deny that he couldn’t be sane either, considering he saw ghosts. Still, seeing ghosts was something he believed in because he could do it and he knew how much of it was true and what was bullshit. Occult and witch-craft wasn’t something he had experience with, so how the hell was he supposed to know how much of it was true? Either way, he would be taking everything with a grain of salt.

First off, he needed to finish dissecting the symbol that was drawn in the nape of the victim’s neck with their own blood to know what the meaning was. Did the blood of the victim have any significance or was it just because it was closest by and convenient. Did it matter whose blood was used, or was the killer just being dramatic? What was the killer’s real objective? Did he kill the girls just to satisfy his sick urges and used the sign because he was interested in occult and the likes, or was the witch-craft the most important part? Honestly, the more he looked into it, the more confused he became, but he was too interested to let it go. He didn’t even care about the money at this point, he just wanted to get to the bottom of this for his own self-satisfaction. For the victims and the survivors too, of course.

As far as his knowledge went at the moment with the information he had gathered, he knew that there were three possibilities. One, the killer was a sick fuck with necrophilia, hiding it behind this occult bullshit to put the cops on a wrong trail. Two, he was trying to summon something that involved a specific type of victim or ritual, but he had yet to encounter one that involved imprisoning and rape after death. Three, he was making human sacrifices for some kind of satanic religion. Akihito was inclined to go with the second option, considering he had searched more than enough satanic cult pages to be disturbed and had found nothing that involved the things that happened to the victims. Of course, the necrophily was an option as well, but he was less convinced of that one because of the care that was taken in drawing the symbol. Not to mention that when he thought about it, there were several things that he could think of that could possibly be summoned by a sacrificial ritual.

There were more than enough rumors and fairy tales about it these types of things that he had to keep in consideration because of the reoccurring mentions on almost every information source he came across. The only thing that stopped him from actually confirming it, even partly, was the fact that he had yet to find the meaning of the symbol. He had found parts of it on different sites, but they all had similar yet different meanings of it that were loosely based on the history they had gotten from other sites and the interpretation of the one who had created the article. It would be best if he got to the origins of the symbol, but he was drawing blanks with that one, much to his annoyance.

He was getting impatient and the last victim that had been found wasn’t helping him either. He had hoped that by now, one of the victims would have tried to make contact with him, tracing the routes of the evidence and investigation back to him, but he was unsurprised as well. Spirits tended to go to their family because of the strong connection they had, following the only thing that felt familiar and instinctual. Akihito didn’t blame the victims for wanting to be as close to their loved ones in order to mourn their own death and come to terms with it, especially after the traumatizing events that had led to their deaths. Maybe he should pay a visit to the surviving families after all? Maybe he could ask the spirits of the victims a few questions there, if they were capable of speech already?

Akihito looked up from his practically molten ice-cream when he heard the front-door of the penthouse open, hearing Asami’s voice as well as those of this two subordinates. The door of the office was closed, so the blonde couldn’t make out what exactly they were saying, but he shrugged it off. The crime-lord would have noticed his shoes and would find him sooner or later anyway, so he didn’t’ have to bother going out to greet him. He had been acting as the man’s wife enough already. Deciding to leave the criminals to their own affairs, the blonde moved the tub to his lips, drinking the runny ice-cream instead of shoveling it into his mouth as he turned his attention back to the papers in front of him, this time focusing on the dissected symbol. Who knew, maybe he would see something new if he continued to stare at it with tired eyes? Maybe it would look different when it all blurred together?

The priest didn’t know how often he had yawned before he begrudgingly decided to call it a night. He closed the fridge after taking out a last ice-cube to gnash on when a shiver ran down his spine, his head giving a painful, displeased throb. He could practically feel the temperature drop, both in the air and in his body as a heavy blanket seemed to fall on his back. He knew this feeling and knew he had felt it before but only in a hospital and other places where a lot of people died, leaving behind only their souls. The blonde’s body started to shiver, his breathing becoming more difficult as if a weight was tied to his chest as he straightened up. Confused about the sudden explosion in spirits he could sense around him, the blonde pulled open the door of the office, coming face to face with a spirit he didn’t know.

Instead of startling, the blonde stepped out of the office, using the wall to support himself in case his knees gave out from shaking too much. He tried to ignore the weird sensation he experienced whenever he stepped through a spirit as he made his way to where the most activity was. Meaning, where he could hear Suoh scream like a girl, almost muting out the slamming of cupboards and doors. Asami, Kirishima and Suoh were standing around the kitchen table, looking around with wide eyes that couldn’t comprehend what was happening as Akihito stepped inside the kitchen, the spirits there feeling malicious to the point that the blonde would call them evil. The entire kitchen seemed to vibrate around him, everything that could open, doing so in order to loudly slam closed again, continuing to repeat this with deafening noise. However, Akihito’s attention was on what laid on the shaking table, his eyes widening.

“What the hell have you done?!” the priest yelled despite feeling like his head was going to burst, getting the attention of the mobs as he moved to step forward, only to cut his foot open on the shard of a glass that had no doubt been thrown against the wall.

“Akihito! Get out of here!” Asami called but the blonde ignored him, turning to the spirits that were looking at him, wondering if they should switch their target to him because he looked considerably weaker. However, unlike the mobs, he wasn’t scared of anything that was happening at the moment.

“Get out! Leave! Now!” he yelled at the spirits, feeling two spirits join more than he could see them, hearing knuckles crack on his left and seeing the blade of a tachi on his right, next to his head.

“You are not welcome here!” the blonde said in a firm, unhesitant tone.

[Or do you wish to experience death once again?]

“Close it! Asami, close the board. Say goodbye” Akihito said as he could feel some of the spirits listen to him, leaving when told, lightening the weight on his chest as he rushed over to the table.

“Aki-” Asami started, somewhat confused as Akihito grabbed Suoh’s hand to force his fingers onto the planchette.

“Do it!” Akihito ordered, prompting the two ravens to move, adding their fingers to move the planchette across the goodbye spelled on the bottom of the board. Slowly but surely, the doors stopped with slamming and the table stopped vibrating as well, the weight lifting from the blonde’s chest as even the more persistent spirits left with a last sour look at the two spirits flanking the priest. Still shivering but with his head-ache already diminishing slightly, the blonde turned to his ancestors, the two most intimidating ones who had come to his aid.

“Thank you. I’m sorry to have bothered you” Akihito said, guessing he must have unconsciously called up on them for help, yet they merely smiled at him.

[You are most welcome. It is my pleasure to help my family in need.]

[See ya at Obon, little Takaba.]

“You’re freezing” Suoh said, speaking up in a normal if not shaky tone of voice for the first time since Akihito had entered the room, drawing his attention away from his samurai and boxer ancestors. The back of Asami’s hand was instantly against his cheek, his eyes narrowing in worry.

“I’ll be fi-” Akihito started but cut himself off with a gulp as Asami lifted him off the floor.

“Kirishima, clean this glass up. Suoh, get me the first aid kit” he said as he made his way out of the kitchen, ignoring the struggling blonde who was barely putting up a fight, too busy shivering to put any real strength in the flat-handed hits he landed on his lover’s back, a low buzz in his ear that shouldn’t be there if all the spirits were gone.

“Asami, put me down! I can walk” Akihito said, stuttering over his words as his teeth clattered together.

“Not with that foot, you can’t” the crime-lord said, all but dumping the blonde into the cream leather sofa in the living room at the same time he reached out for the blanket draped over the back-leaning.

“Ack, wait” Akihito said, a bit too disoriented to struggle as the raven bundled him in with the blanket, making sure his injured foot and his head were the only things uncovered.

“What were you doing for your temperature to be so low?” Asami asked sharply, most likely in worry if the look in his golden eyes was something to go by.

“That’s your fault, you asshole! What the hell were you doing, bringing an oujia board in this house and using it without knowing how it works?” the blonde asked in an accusing voice and Asami frowned at him but Akihito wasn’t done yet.

“As if those scratches and bruises weren’t bad enough already, you had to go and invite whoever-the-fuck into the house as well! It’s already hard enough for us to keep that fucker away from us and you just went ahead and increased our workload!” the priest said, still shivering in a way that made the crime-lord rub his arms up and down the blonde’s sides while sending him a confused look.

“You knew about the bruises and the scratches? And what are you talking about?” he asked and Akihito gave a violent shiver as he could feel his body slowly but surely start to warm up again.

“I brought the first-aid kit” Souh said as he returned from the bathroom, holding the mentioned box up before the omega could say anything to answer his lover’s question.

“Give me your foot” Asami said though he already had the mentioned limb in his hand as he sat down on the coffee table across from the blonde, resting the younger male’s foot in his lap.

“What the hell happened just now?” Suoh asked, still too out of it to realize Asami might not like the blonde alpha talking about the situation in the presence of his lover.

“An oujia board in the hands of idiots, that’s what happened” Akihito said, levelling both older males with a look as if he was gazing upon world’s biggest airheads, something that clearly didn’t sit right with either of them. Akihito had been on the receiving end of this look in Asami’s eyes for more times than he liked to count, but he felt no satisfaction to return the favor. The blonde hissed in pain as fingers probed the edge of the cut in his foot, looking at his lover whose attention was on the limb in his hands.

“Looks like there is no glass stuck. That’s good” the crime-lord said and Akihito narrowed his eyes at the raven, ready to fly out against him when he heard footsteps behind him.

“I’ve brought this. To warm you up” Kirishima said as he entered the living area, holding out a mug of what Akihito could smell was hot cocoa, making him wiggle his hands free to accept the steaming mug from the bespectacled raven. Inhaling the scent of the hot milk mixed with the cocoa powder pacified the blonde momentarily, until Asami spoke up again.

“I’m still going to need a question to my answer from before, Akihito” he said as he disinfected the wound on the sole of the blonde’s foot, looking up to meet the omega’s eyes over the rim of the panda mug.

“You seemed to know exactly what you were doing and you were seeing something that we weren’t” he said and Akihito sipped from the milk, feeling the hot liquid travel down his esophagus.

“You won’t believe me even if I told you” he answered and Asami narrowed his eyes.

“Try me” he said and the priest levelled him with a blank look.

“I see ghosts. Have been able to ever since I was a little baby and Yurihiko can do the same. It’s genetic, though it’s possible to skip a generation” he said and Suoh looked like he was going to laugh, though not out of amusement, while Kirishima frowned.

“I believe you” the alpha said and Akihito raised an eyebrow at him, watching him take a bandage out of the first-aid kit.

“It would make sense. Both you and Yurihiko tend to space out sometimes, looking at thing I don’t see. I can catch Yurihiko talk to empty air in his room sometimes. Not to mention the stories your father told” the crime-lord explained and the blonde almost wanted to laugh. What the hell. How could Asami accept it so easily when his own parents couldn’t?

“There must be something wrong with your head” Akihito said as he could feel tear gather in his eyes, trying to blink them away but only making them fall faster. He reached up with his hand, mumbling a curse under his breath as he tried to force his tears back with the palm of his hand.

“No doubt. So, how many spirits were here?” Asami asked and Akihito shrugged, sniffing as the tears continued to gather.

“A lot. Not as much as in the hospital, but enough to make me feel the side-effects this much. Side-effects being hypothermia, bursting head-ache, shivers, constant low buzz in my ears, hard to breath because of the pressure on my chest that depends on the amount of spirits around me. Well, you’ve just seen it happen, meaning that there were a lot. But then again, what do you expect when you open up an oujia board” he said and Suoh swallowed thickly.

“So a board like that really does summon ghosts? Should we burn it to destroy it?” he asked and Akihito scoffed as he shook his head, trying to muffle his sob as he pulled his blanket closer around him, his shivers finally subsided enough to keep a grip on his mug with one hand only.

“Don’t be ridiculous. An oujia board doesn’t summon spirits, it attracts them because it gives them a way to communicate their wishes. Like tarot cards and the likes, it serves as a way to communicate, nothing more nothing less. The spirits won’t go away just because you destroy the board and they aren’t going to haunt you because you did so either, so it doesn’t matter what you do with the board after closing it. After you close it, it’s just a piece of wood until you open communication again” he said, seeing that Suoh was this close to fainting.

“Or so believers say. I don’t know, since I never had to use one to talk to them” he said, though it seemed like the wrong thing to do as the large blonde finally gave up, collapsing into the sofa next to the omega. He was lucky he hadn’t fallen on the floor, though Kirishima looked something pleased to be able to hit the large alpha to wake him back up again.

“What about demons and the like?” Asami asked, looking away from his subordinates to his lover who sipped from his chocolate milk.

“Don’t know. Never met one before. Though, I did meet a few malicious spirits, but that’s only because they are holding a grudge and not because they are bad or evil” Akihito answered before grimacing softly.

“One of them is currently possessing your right arm” he said and the blonde next to him, who had barely regained consciousness, promptly fainted again as Asami stared at his lover. Akihito saw the disbelieve and suspicion in his eyes and didn’t blame him for it. He couldn’t. There was no way he could easily accept something as weird and freakish as seeing ghosts.

“Deye Guelo. You tortured him quite brutally before he died from his injuries. Do you want me to describe his injuries and the way he looks? Because I can. He’s not here right now, but he’s been around enough for me to remember each strand of his hair, matted to his head by his own blood” Akihito said dryly, making the two conscious mobs freeze and tense up more with every word leaving his lips.

“He’s in my arm, you say?” Asami asked, deciding not to go in on the blonde’s statement.

“It’s the only thing he could possess during the confusion because it’s impossible for a spirit to inhabit more than a single limb in a body that already has a soul tied to it. Your soul belongs to your body, but with Guelo possessing your arm, he will be able to take it over when you die, which is probably his goal. Or so the theory goes. It sound pretty impossible in real life, though. It’s just… occult” Akihito said, rattling off the explanation partially mindlessly before stopping, a lightbulb going off in his mind.

“That’s it!” the blonde exclaimed happily as he suddenly sat up, nearly spilling the contents of his half-empty mug over his lap. His sudden change in both voice and mood startled the two mobs, the third one shooting awake again as they stared at the blonde who pushed his mug into Asami’s hands.

“That’s what the killer wants to do!” he said, looking around for his phone that he remembered leaving in the crime-lord’s office.

“My phone! I need to call Oogushi-san! I know what the serial killer wants!” he said before turning to Asami with a wide grin, seeing past his gob-smacked confusion as he all but jumped up, hobbling over to the office to retrieve his phone without putting too much weight on his bandaged foot while keeping the blanket securely around his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	16. Orchid.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orchid ;; Love. Thoughtfullness. Ferility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and its OCs!  
> I hope you like it, even though it is quite rushed...

Akihito was stalling and he knew it. He knew it, Asami knew it and even little Yurihiko knew it. However, none of them called him out on it. While it was clear that Asami wanted answers as soon as possible, he could tell that this was a very difficult subject for Akihito, something even Yurihiko could tell. So, the crime-lord remained halfway patient to give the blonde the time he needed. He wasn’t pushing Akihito to tell him vocally, but the priest could practically feel his expectations. It was so tense, even Yurihiko was able to read the mood and calm down to an almost worrying level whenever they were all in the same room and had a quiet moment. However, Akihito knew himself. He knew that he would run away for as long as he could and with Asami not pushing him, this could be very long. After all, he hadn’t said anything up to this point. So, Akihito had set himself a time-limit for him to get his shit together so he could sit down with Asami to talk.

He had set himself the condition that if they were going to talk about this, Yurihiko needed to be there as well. After all, he shared his mother’s gift and knew more than Asami about this, meaning that he too had stuff he wanted to tell his father about. So the talk had to be in the weekend, when they were all free and had the time to sit and relax. It was weekend now and Asami had even taken a morning off from work, but Akihito was still stalling by focusing on the dishes with much more attention than necessary. However, even to the dishes came an end, something he usually rejoiced in, but now regretted. Too nervous to go to the living-room with empty hands, or to go there period, Akihito decided to make a fresh pot of tea, placing the strainer with black leaves inside a pot with hot water. While the tea leaves strained, he leaned against the counter, looking at the pot, not sure if he was hoping for time to go faster or slower. Usually, he wanted the former, but this time he was tempted to wish for the latter.

However, he knew he couldn’t run from this forever and the tea would go bad if he waited any longer, so he placed the pot and the cups on a tray which he took to the living room. He was left a little disoriented to see the table shoved aside in order to make space for the domino construction Yurihiko and Asami were making. The raven was sitting on the ground next to the young blonde, helping him strategically place the blocks to form the kanjis of his name. Careful not to disturb the duo, Akihito placed the tray on the table that had been moved next to the sofa, seeing Asami look up to acknowledge him. Without saying a word, the blonde stepped up behind his son who was too focused on correctly placing the block in his hand. He shrieked and jumped at the feeling of his mother’s hands in his side, tickling him. The shriek turned into laughter quickly enough as he struggled to get away from the wriggling fingers in his side that stopped before he could knock over the construction he made.

“Mom!” Yurihiko said in a scolding tone as he turned his head to look up at the blonde hanging over him.

“Don’t take it out on me just because you don’t have the patience to do something like this” the little blonde said and Akihito grimaced as he had no way of denying his impatient nature. It was easy to tell that Yurihiko had inherited his patience from his father, which was something the priest was glad for. The little monkey was already a hand-full because of his unending energy and his sass. The last thing he needed was a lack of patience. At least now, the blonde could just give his son a puzzle and trust that it would keep him busy for an hours or so. That shit had never worked with him.

“Alright, alright, I’m impatient and we all know it. Now take a break. I got cookies and tea” he said, instantly getting his son to perk up.

“Cookies!” he said excitedly as he jumped up, barely avoiding hitting one of the blocks with his heel. Akihito looked up at Asami, meeting the crime-lord’s gaze as his expression became somewhat hesitant in a way the raven understood immediately. The raven stood up, brushing the invisible dust from his slacks before taking a seat in the sofa, accepting the cup of tea Akihito held out to him while Yurihiko dropped about seven cubes of sugar into his own cup, already munching on at least two cookies at the same time.

“Hiko, he knows” Akihito said and the young blonde looked up at his parents, looking from his mother to his father and back to his mother.

“Really? About _that?”_ he asked and the older blonde gave a confirming nod.

“Does he believe you?” Yurihiko asked and Akihito looked at Asami next to him.

“Ask him” he responded and the young blonde turned to his father with a hesitant, uncertain look.

“Do you believe us?” he asked almost shyly and the raven regarded him, no doubt fully aware of the expecting look he was receiving from the two blondes.

“Your mother has given me enough evidence to believe you, but it is still difficult for me to wrap my mind around it. I can’t see what is normal for you to see, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not true” the crime-lord said honestly and Akihito felt strangely relieved by that answer. He knew that Asami hadn’t not believed him when he had told him about his ability, but it seemed weird to him for anyone to easily accept something as strange as seeing ghosts. His own parents had made fun of him for it as he grew up and they still did, something that had really left his scars on him. So when Asami had told him that he believed him when he had said that he could see ghosts, Akihito had thought that the crime-lord has just gone with the flow. The fact that Asami admitted to being sceptic instead of plain out disbelieving or believing, made it seem much more realistic.

“I don’t really get. Does that mean that you believe us or not?” Yurihiko asked and Asami picked him up to place him on his lap, entwining his fingers around the blonde’s waist.

“This doesn’t really have to do with whether I believe you or not. I can’t see ghosts like you or your mother, so I can’t say whether it’s true or not. However, just because I can’t see it, doesn’t mean that it’s not real for you. To dumb it down a little more. I believe that you see something even when it’s hard for me to believe something I can’t see for myself” Asami said and Yurihiko hummed thoughtfully and the raven gave a small smile.

“See it from my point of view. Can you imagine what it is like to not see spirits?” he asked and the blonde shook his head firmly.

“Of course not, don’t be ridicu- ah” he said, cutting himself off mid-sentence with a blank face.

“Okay, never-mind. I understand. It’s like you can understand the possibility, but can’t imagine what it’s like” he said and Asami nodded, turning to look at Akihito who pointedly refused to lift his head, biting on his lip.

“Mom? Are you crying?” Yurihiko asked and the priest shook his head, reaching his hand up to wipe his eyes.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it” he said and looked up when his son shuffled over to him, sitting on his knees to wrap his arms around his mother’s neck. Of course, this only had the opposite effect as a sob wrecked Akihito’s frame when he closed his son into his arms. It was such an unrealistic feeling, to have someone believe him and accept the part of him that wasn’t like them. To accept it in both him and his son. His own parents hadn’t believed him and had gotten annoyed with him whenever he tried to tell them about what he could do. It had weighed heavily on his mind growing up, to see dead people and to have no-one believe him, to the point he had rebelled against everything and everyone except for his grandparents, two only two people who had ever accepted everything of him and had supported him through thick and thin. He had lived his life on his own, trusting no-one and keeping his ability as much of a secret as possible, believing that people would shun him if he was honest. But the people who believed him had increased by one and it was hard for Akihito to wrap his head around.

“What’s it like to see spirits?” Asami asked after giving the two blonde’s the time to separate, though Yurihiko remained seated on his mother’s lap, turned to his father.

“Unpleasant” the duo said unison and the raven raised an eyebrow at them.

“Because of the side-effects in the presence of a large number of them?” he asked and Yurihiko shrugged.

“There’s that too” he answered dryly and Akihito looked up at his lover.

“Spirits can’t adjust the way they look” the older blonde said and Asami turned to him.

“No, there is one” Yurihiko corrected and the priest looked at him.

“Yeah, well, except for that one, but he’s not normal. He’s touched in the head and we promised him not to talk about him, so we’re going to keep that promise, alright?” he said and turned his attention back to the crime-lord.

“Either way, with the exception of one, spirits can’t control the way they appear, meaning that they look the exact same way they died” he explained and Asami raised an eyebrow, clearly unsure of what he should say.

“Every spirit?” he asked, realizing that if Akihito had seen Deye Guelo, so did Yurihiko. The omega could see it in the raven’s eyes, unexpectedly open even when his expression froze over in barely visible guilt.

“Yes, including the one that’s been haunting you” Akihito said and Yurihiko grimaced.

“He’s not the worst one I’ve seen, but the problem is when he talks. He’s really disturbing, though I haven’t seen him around since the festival. I had already gotten used to him and even his voice” the little blonde said and Akihito hummed somewhat troubled.

“He’s around, you just can’t see him” he said and Yurihiko frowned as he looked up at his mother.

“Really? Then where is he?” he asked and Asami raised his left hand.

“Apparently, here” he answered his son’s question, the response making the little blonde frown, looking intently at his arm before he seemed to recognize something even when it confused him.

“He’s possessing your arm? Is that even possible?” Yurihiko asked and Akihito shrugged.

“I haven’t seen it a lot either. It’s only my second time, but I’m sure of it” he said and the young child looked up at him again.

“But why would he do that? Two souls can’t be in the same body and Dad’s soul is tied to his body, right?” he asked and Akihito nodded.

“It’s a shot-gun sort of situation” he said before looking up at Asami.

“During a moment of mental weakness, that guy slipped his own soul into your arm, alongside yours. That’s the most a spirit can do, and even that takes a tremendous amount of energy. However, his soul being in your arm is like calling shotgun for your body in case you die” he said and the crime-lord frowned.

“Now you’ve lost me” he admitted and Akihito didn’t blame him. It was somewhat confusing to understand.

“When you die, your soul leaves your body, even if it is only for a split seconds that it takes to resuscitate you. Your body becomes an empty vessel at that moment. If your spirits enters the vessel again, it becomes your body again. However, those few seconds are all it takes for someone else’s spirit to take over the vessel, meaning that it becomes their body” the blonde explained before huffing softly.

“Or so the theory goes. I’m not sure how it’s supposed to work, but I won’t let it get that far” he said, meeting the alpha’s gaze head-on with a determination he hoped was reassuring.

“I promised Hiko that I would fix it and I still haven’t changed my mind. In fact, I already know what I have to do” the blonde said and Asami frowned as he saw the blonde look down at the watch on his wrist, checking the time and seeing that they had talked for a little longer than they had expected.

“And talking about that, I need to meet someone to make preparations” Akihito said and looked back up at his lover.

“Can you take Yurihiko to the shrine when you go to work?” he asked as he stood up, placing his son on his feet on the ground.

“Hmm, sure” the crime-lord said and the priest leaned forward to press a kiss on the top of his son’s head.

“I put lunch in the fridge, so you just need to heat it up. Don’t forget to take an umbrella and give Hiko his rain-coat because the weather fore-cast for the afternoon is bad” Akihito reminded the alpha who regarded him.

“I know. Go, before you’re late to your meeting” Asami said as Yurihiko rolled with his eyes at his mother’s worry. However, despite his short episode of nagging, it was Akihito who ended up forgetting his umbrella, yet he was too lazy to return when he was already halfway to the coffee shop he agreed to meeting Kirishima. The man was already seated at one of the high tables, looking considerably uncomfortable meeting the blonde behind his boss’s back, but it was for a reason. Akihito had specifically asked the bespectacled man to keep their meeting a secret from Asami because he had no idea how much information Deye Guelo was able to hear when he was inside Asami’s arm. It was a weird situation and it was the first time it had happened this close to Akihito.

“I’m sorry I’m late” the blonde said as he stepped up next to the free chair across the bespectacled mob who looked up at him.

“I’ll make it quick so I don’t take up any more of your time than necessary” the blonde assured him and Kirishima shifted in his seat almost nervously.

“Please do” he said and Akihito hoisted himself up onto the chair, looking up as a waiter stopped at their table.

“Can I help you?” the somewhat older man asked and Akihito was quick to order himself a glass of ice-water and a slice of apple cake. A silence hung around their table as they waited for the blonde’s order to arrive, after which they were left alone again.

“You wanted to talk to me about Asami-sama and the situation with the ghost possessing him” Kirishima said, reminding the omega that they were there to discuss something and not drool over the apple cake. Akihito took the little fork out of his mouth, emptying it as quickly as possible as he nodded at the man across from him.

“Yeah, it’s pretty troubling after the research I did” he said and Kirishima frowned.

“Isn’t it troubling enough that Asami-sama is possessed?” he asked and Akihito shook his head.

“It is, but it gets worse. Usually, whenever someone’s possessed, it’s only for a short time and it doesn’t really affect their daily life because a spirit can’t take over a body that already has a soul in it” the blonde said and jabbed his fork into his cake.

“However, with Asami, it’s different because Deye is malicious and has a clear goal in mind that he’s desperate to achieve. Sometimes, Asami’s hand is twitching or shifting against his will. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to do something like that with Asami’s own spirit resisting against him, but for now, that is the extent of what Deye can do, which is good” he said and Kirishima shook his head in disbelieve.

“That is considered good? That Asami-sama is losing control of his arm?” he asked and Akihito looked up.

“If I’m correct with my suspicions, then yes, it’s good that this is the limit of what he’s able to do” he said before shoving a piece of cake into his mouth, quickly chewing to get it empty again.

“Deye is from an old tribe that believes in voodoo and black magic, right?” he asked and Kirishima frowned.

“I don’t know about the voodoo and black magic, but yes. It’s rather well known that he’s superstitious and obsessed with the believes he grew up with” he said and Akihito reached out for his glass.

“Because of this case with the serial killer that I’m on, I’ve been drowning in this occult shit. It’s pretty easy to find about the black magic and voodoo from his tribe once I know where to look. They believe that people can be revived if they take over another person’s body, but to do that, the soul that is currently in the body, needs to get out” he said and Kirishima pushed up his glasses.

“So you’re saying that Deye wants to kill Asami so he can take over his body?” he asked and Akihito gave a confirming, if not grim, nod.

“That’s the theory, yeah. That’s why I said that it’s good that this is the limit of his influence at the moment. For him to gain strength is for Asami to weaken because his body gets tired from the Deye’s spirit invading him. I plan to stop him before he can gain any more strength” he said and the bespectacled man lowered his cup of coffee.

“How will you do that?” he asked and Akihito smirked around his fork.

“I’m going to perform an exorcism” he said before taking the fork out of his mouth with a shrug as he looked down again.

“Though it’s pretty much a trick, which is why I don’t want Asami to know about this, in case Deye can hear us talk about it” he said before looking up again.

“Deye wants a body, so we’ll give him one he wants more than Asami’s. That’s where you come in” he said and Kirishima regarded him before reaching into his pocket for his phone.

“I can get a corpse within three days. Any specific it needs to have?” he asked and Akihito blinked as he straightened up.

“What? No, no! It’s disturbing how quick you can get a dead body, but that’s not what I need! Are you crazy?!” he hissed as he leaned forward towards the older man.

“Then what do you need?” he asked and Akihito shook his head, still somewhat taken off guard at how quick it was for criminals to get their hands on a corps.

“A wax body. An exact copy of Deye Guelo, including his injuries. But they have to look like they healed and scarred over. Can you do that?” he asked and Kirishima mulled it over before nodding.

“It will take a little longer, but I will have it prepared” he said and Akihito wasn’t sure if he should laugh or not. So it was easier to get a corpse than a wax body?

“Alright. I’ll be counting on you for that then. I’ll text you the details and the location. I’ll be solving two things at the same time, so it might get a little hectic” he said and Kirishima stood up.

“I’ll go back to the office now, before Asami-sama arrives. I’ll pay the bill” he said and Akihito stood up.

“Alright, if you insist” he said before downing his glass, crushing the ice-cubes in between his molars as he made his way to the second location he had a meeting. However, there he was the first one to arrive. Every doubt he had had about being in the wrong location disappeared at the sight of a spirit he recognized from the victim files he had been staring at for the past weeks. However, there was a second spirit who looked different, yet the same. The same meaning that she had the same age as the other victims and the same appearance. Brown hair, lightly tanned skin, dark eyes and somewhat small in statue. However, she lacked the injuries around her wrists and the visible signs of malnutrition that the other spirits had.

It had been a good idea to go visit the surviving families of the victims after all.

“Hello, can I get you something to drink? Or maybe to eat?” a shaggy haired man asked as he stepped up to Akihito’s table with a smile and the blonde looked up, the corners of his lips curling upwards in an automatic response.

“For now, I’ll take an ice-water. I’ll order something to eat when my company has arrived” he said and the man who looked to be a little older than Akihito himself nodded in confirmation. As he turned away, he walked right through the shoulders of the two brown-haired women who stood side to side at the blonde’s table. If the omega had been any less used to spirits popping up in his face out of nowhere, he would have flinched back, no doubt.

[Stop him.]

“You don’t have to ask me. Of course I will” he answered softly as he looked down out of the window, seeing the first drops of rain fall as the first pedestrians took out their umbrellas. He looked up again as he heard a glass being placed on the table in front of him, seeing the shaggy haired raven smile at him.

“Here you go” he said and Akihito smiled gratefully as he regarded the man before letting his gaze roam around the near empty restaurant, save for a teenage couple sitting at the window.

“Not all that much people here, huh” he said and the raven gave a troubled little laugh as he scratched the back of his head.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I haven’t opened the restaurant for long and it’s not very known yet. I do get more costumers during the week, because there’s a high school nearby” he said and Akihito looked up at him again.

“Oh? You own this restaurant? I’m so sorry! I said something rude” he apologized and the raven was quick to shake his head with a smile.

“No, no! You didn’t say anything that was untrue. It’s always calmer during the weekends, I’m afraid” he said and the priest gave a troubled smile.

“I’ll introduce my friends to this place as apology, how about that?” he asked and the raven chuckled.

“Publicity is publicity, so I’ll take it in any way it comes” he said and the omega chuckled amused.

“I’m Takaba Akihito” he said introducing himself easily and receiving a smile in return.

“Tsukuda Jirou. Nice to meet you” the shaggy haired raven answered, not knowing he had just given his name to the person investigating him with in cooperation with the police. The sound of the door opening had both of them look up at the man who walked into the restaurant, grumbling curses under his breath as he shook the droplets of his trench-coat before hanging it on the clothing hanger that stood next to the door.

“Ah, there is the guy I was waiting for. Late and finally showered. Your wife will be so proud of you” Akihito said as inspector Oogushi walked up to his table with brisk, annoyed steps, clearly not fond of the rain.

“Shut it, kid. I’ll really smack you one of these days” the man said as he pulled his chair back, his angry grumble earning a chuckle from the blonde.

“This is the last time you called me out when it’s raining” he said and Akihito raised an eyebrow.

“Compared to all those times you called me out in the middle of the night, in a thunderstorm?” he asked and the inspector pointedly ignored that statement, turning to the shaggy haired raven next to them.

“Can I get a coffee and something to eat?” he asked and the raven nodded.

“Of course. Please order whatever you like. The menu is on the table” he said and Oogushi looked down at the mentioned table, grimacing as Akihito laughed.

“You might want to look for a pair of glasses, old man. Your age is getting to you” he said and the older man glared at him as he picked up the menu card.

“I’ll take a warm egg sandwich” he said before handing the card over to the blonde across from him. Akihito scanned the contents quickly, his stomach taking over his brain to mouth filter.

“The tonkatsu curry and the ebi tempura” he said without even looking at the things lower down the menu. The raven smiled at him while the inspector raised an eyebrow.

“It’ll be with you shortly” Jirou said before turning away from the table.

“And? What do you think of our serial killer?” Akihito asked as he crossed his arms on top of the table, making sure the restaurant owner was out of hearing range. Oogushi blinked at him before looking over at where the raven had disappeared into the kitchen.

“You mean that’s him? How sure of it are you?” he asked and Akihito glanced at the two spirits loitering around the restaurant.

“I’m sure. I can see one of his victims, Hara Kazuki. And there is someone else too, but I haven’t seen her before. I guess she’s connected to him in a different way than holding a grudge” he said and Oogushi narrowed his eyes at him before moving to stand up. Akihito was quick to grab his arm, stopping him from reaching for his handcuffs.

“Don’t. I know you want to arrest him, but didn’t you already come talk to him before? What will you use to arrest him? My psychic friend identified you because he can see two ghosts around you who told him it was you? He’ll be sooner out of the holding cell than he is in it” the blonde pointed out and Oogushi gritted his teeth as he glared at the omega, not because he was angry at the younger male, but at the fact that he had a point.

“Then what do you expect me to do?” he asked harshly and Akihito held the older man’s gaze.

“Calm down. He just killed a girl. He won’t kill anyone for the coming month. I have a plan to get him to confess” he said and Oogushi grimaced at him.

“Cold as ever, aren’t you” he said and Akihito’s face blanked.

“Not at all. I just know that I need to wait at the moment. Arresting him without any evidence will just make him run” he said and looked over at where he saw one of the spirts look at the kitchen door with a worried but hurt look.

“If my guess is right, I know just how to break him, but I need time to prepare and a morgue. Can you get me one in the coming week?” he asked and Oogushi frowned at the strange request.

“Sure, I can. Our guy at the morgue loves you and your skill, so he’ll easily allow you a few hours in there, if you assist him for the same duration in return” he said and Akihito grimaced slightly, knowing that with assisting, it meant letting the medical examiner interrogate and investigate him.

“Alright. Just make sure the morgue is empty when I need it. It won’t even take an hour, if I’m lucky” he said and picked up his glass.

“I’m going to perform an exorcism” he said and Oogushi nodded.

“Oh, okay. That- is that even possible? Like don’t you need to be a priest for that? Like, higher ranked, I mean?” he asked, correcting himself at the blonde’s raised eyebrow.

“You’ll see. For now, I’ll have to spend some time here and butter up to that guy so I can get to take him to the morgue. I’m sure it’ll be easy enough if I drop a few things about occult here and there” he said and Oogushi regarded him.

“You have no fear, do you” he said and Akihito merely shrugged, emptying his glass of water and complaining that he needed to piss again. When he returned from the restroom, it was at the same time the restaurant owner exited the kitchen with their order in his hand. Akihito dove into his food with much gusto, barely even acknowledging the refilled glass of ice-water that was placed in front of him as he ate. The whole thing was amusing to Oogushi, who couldn’t help but snort at him as he muttered something about chocolate sauce.

“Slow down, kid. Are you eating for two or something?” he joked, his words unexpectedly hitting Akihito harder than he had meant. His eyes widened as his hands froze midway shoving a tempura shrimp into his mouth.

“Pfft. What are you talking about?” he asked, though there was a light tremble in his voice as thoughts continued to pop up in his mind. The weird combinations of food he was craving, the amount he was scarfing down, his chest that seemed more sensitive than usual, his unquenchable thirds for ice-water. His exhaustion that had him sleep whenever he could or the sudden switches in his mood, his quickness to cry.

“You’ve got to be kidding me” he mumbled to himself as he stood outside the pharmacy on his way home, hesitating to go inside. His first child hadn’t even gotten tested to see which nature he had inherited, and here he was, showing symptoms of a second pregnancy. What the hell was he doing in a situation like this? Fuck! Couldn’t Asami just use a condom for once in his life? And when the hell had he stopped taking his contraceptives?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	17. Poppy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poppy ;; A lively imagination. Remembering the fallen. Peace in death. Beauty and success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer :: I don't own anything but the story and its OCs.  
> I hope this wasn't a waste of time!

Akihito was feeling strangely excited, and not in a good way. It was partially adrenaline and partially the feeling of ‘oh god, I’m going to fuck up so badly’. He nervously pulled on the long sleeve of his white kariginu, having donned his full garb for dramatic effect. He wasn’t quite sure how this was going to work, but he couldn’t believe anything besides that it would. In theory, he knew how the situation would progress, but theory and real life worked differently. If they didn’t, Asami would have already been possessed by Deye Guelo. Akihito just needed to trust himself and his instincts, but that didn’t always come as easy.

“Pretty exciting, isn’t it?” Mashiro, the medical examiner who had lend him his morgue said as he stood next to the blonde, making Akihito look down at him. The man was small, even by Japanese standards, and looked like a yokai on one of his better days. There was something about the man that put the blonde on edge and he wasn’t sure if it was his wrinkly appearance with long hooked nose, or his obsession with death and anything to do with it. That included the priest himself, who was able to see ghosts. The first time they had met, Mashiro had poked and prodded at him until Oogushi had stepped in. ‘Funny, isn’t it? The dead speak to me through their corpses and to you through their soul, so we actually have the same skill but in a different way’ the man had said and since then, Akihito had avoided setting foot in the morgue as much as possible. The man unnerved him even when it wasn’t his intention to. He was just too excited about dead bodies for Akihito to handle.

“If you say so” the omega responded and heard the inspector scoff where he leaned against one of the tables.

“Stop creeping him out, Mashiro-san. You’ll scare him off” Oogushi said, receiving a glare from the old man who should probably retire before he ended up in one of the coolers himself.

“Could you stop smoking in my morgue, you little brat” he snapped at the inspector, making Akihito snort at seeing a grown man be called little brat, grumbling as he killed his cigarette inside his portable ashtray. The three men inside the room looked up at the sound of a knock on the door.

“Excuse me” a hesitant voice came that had Akihito put a smile on his face, walking over to the door that slowly but surely opened.

“You’re at the right place, Tsukada-san” the blonde said as a head of jagged black hair peeked into the room, looking relieved at the sight of someone familiar. Someone who he had been passing by his restaurant practically daily.

“You really are a priest, Takaba-san” Jirou said as he stepped into the room, making Akihito scoff amused.

“You sound surprised. I had to do something with my gift, right?” he asked and the raven chuckled.

“Thank you for letting me be here to witness an exorcism. I’m still new to being a psychic” he said and the blonde shook his head.

“It’s nothing. You said you were interested in possessions and exorcism, right? We’re just waiting for the star of the show to arrive” he said and looked at the clock against the wall.

“Knowing him, it won’t take long. He hates unpunctuality” he said and turned to the two other men in the room.

“For now, this is Mashiro-san, he’s the head medical examiner of this place and has graciously given us permission to perform our exorcism here. You don’t need to pay any attention to that guy. Oogushi-san is just here as observer and witness” Akihito said, remaining silent about the fact that Oogushi was a police inspector.

“Ah, there you’ll have him” Akihito said, perking up when he heard footsteps down the hallway, opening the door of the room further to greet the trio of black suit clad men. Asami walked in front of the trio with his left arm securely in a sling, flanked by Kirishima, who looked sceptic about the whole thing, and Suoh, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there. The priest couldn’t help but find it amusing to see such a big guy so scared of the paranormal, but he couldn’t really blame the big blonde. The unknown was scary, especially when you couldn’t see or sense it.

“Are you alright?” Asami asked as he stepped up in front of the blonde, worried about the side-effects of being in the presence of multiple spirits. Not even a hello or anything, but Akihito smiled none the less.

“I’m fine. There are surprisingly little spirits here because they usually follow their families” he said and glanced at the raven’s left hand resting inside the sling, the source of the low buzzing sound in his ear and the pale complexion on his lover’s face, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead that spoke of a fever. A light one, but a fever none the less.

“Now that everyone has gathered, shall we start the exorcism?” Akihito suggested as he turned around to the three others, seeing Oogushi give him a blank look that felt somewhat accusing. No wonder, considering he had put the man in the same room as a serial killer and someone who was well-spoken about in the underground world, someone who the police had no evidence of besides rumors. Oh well, it wasn’t like he could actually arrest someone based on rumors alone, so Asami was safe for now.

“Do we need candles or something? An oujia board maybe?” Jirou asked curiously and Akihito didn’t even have the time to respond.

“No! No oujia board! Are you crazy?!” Suoh hissed, looking like he was about to high-tail out of there at even the mention of the board. Kirishima looked like he was about to say something to the shaggy-haired raven despite knowing that Akihito needed him there, but the blonde cut him off.

“He’s right, Tsukada-san. Because of what I can do, I don’t need an Ouija board to communicate with spirits, nor do I need candles. I will be alright like this” he said before turning to his lover behind him.

“Will you be okay like that, or do you want to sit?” he asked and Asami waved it off.

“I’ll be fine like this. I just want to get this over with” he said and Akihito nodded, not having expected a different answer.

“Then, take off your sling” he said and held the older man’s gaze.

“Trust me and let everything happen what is about to happen. Don’t try to fight it and this’ll be over soon” he said and Asami regarded him silently before reaching up to take off his sling like told, revealing the weights he had tied to his wrist to keep his hand still, not trust his own power to keep the limb in control. Kirishima took over both items, giving a sceptic look at his boss’s hand as it hung next to his side.

“Kirishima, I suggest you step away from there. He might try to grab you” Akihito warned and the bespectacled man looked at him before stepping away from his boss together with Suoh.

“Considering that guy is only possessing your left hand up to your elbow, I can talk to him and he can hear us, but I can’t hear him, meaning that I’ll have to find another way to communicate with him” Akihito said, looking at the alpha’s hand.

“I could give you something to write, but I feel that he might hurt me or you if I give you something to write with, so I’ll just ask yes and no questions instead” he said and Asami’s face remained blank.

“Let’s start then. Deye, are you there?” Akihito asked, starting with the most over-used question when contacting spirits, but the twitch in the raven’s left hand made it obvious that it worked, cliché or not.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then, but only because I know you’re there” the blonde said and resisted the urge to cross his arms in front of his chest, instead moving his hands together, hidden by his long sleeves.

“Do you know who I am?” Akihito asked and felt the tension in the room grow as the raven’s hand slowly but surely moved, the disgust visible on the crime-lord’s face making it clear that he wasn’t the one moving his fingers until his thumb was halfway in between his index and middle finger that attempted to curl into a fist. The gesture threatened to make Akihito flush, which was entirely inappropriate in a situation that was obviously putting everyone in the room on edge. The only reason he wasn’t, was because he was used to this. Not to seeing a possessed hand move, but to the supernatural. There was little that startled him when it came to the paranormal.

“That’s not a yes or no answer, but I’ll take it” the blonde said before tilting his head in curiosity.

“How are you feeling? I bet it must be cramped in his arm” the priest said, this time the reaction overwhelming enough to coax a few gasps from the witnesses around them as Asami’s hand flew up with his middle finger sticking up. He could hear Suoh start to curse under his breath but paid no attention to it.

“I’m not saying it to piss you off. In fact, I understand why you’re trying to take him over. I don’t blame you for wanting to either” Akihito said, earning a dry look from his lover that he ignored.

“But you must be getting tired. The stories of your tribe never talked about how exhausting it is to take over an active, occupied body. How much they struggle, as if their soul sticks to the inside of their body like slime” the blonde said, seeing Asami’s fingers wiggle in a rather creepy way, even hearing one of the knuckles crack.

“I can see that you’ve got a decent control of his arm when he lets you, but it’s not the same when he’s fighting back, is it? That feeling that his soul has priority in his body must be weighing heavily on you and draining you. At this rate, you’ll disappear before you manage to exhaust him enough to take over completely” Akihito pointed out and the crime-lord’s hand continued to move before fisting.

“Compared to that, wouldn’t it be better if you got your own body back?” he asked, the sudden slackness in the raven’s hand conveying the sprit’s surprise before it turned into disbelieve, the finger-movements displaying nothing but anger and annoyance.

“Oogushi-san, Mashiro-san?” Akihito asked, looking over his shoulder at the tow mentioned men who startled into action, moving towards the body cot roll in cooler. Oogushi pulled the heavy door open to reveal a pair of feet, allowing Mashiro to pull the cot out of the refrigerator. Akihito saw Asami’s eyes twitch open shortly in recognition as Deye Guelo’s face came into view, his body lying on top of the cot. A blanket covered his body from ankle to torso, the sliver of chest visible showing the healed over scars where he had been injured before his death. It looked so real, the blonde almost forgot he had asked Kirishima for a wax body. The bespectacled mob really didn’t deliver half-assed work. The albino rat sitting quietly in the square cage behind the wax body’s head was something he had prepared, something he felt a little guilty for, considering what its purpose for being there was.

“As you can see, this is your body” the priest said as he turned to his lover, or his hand, more specifically.

“It was found by the police in the place you died and kept in a comatose state” Akihito said and saw Asami’s hand tremble violently.

“Instead of struggling and possibly disappearing trying to take over Asami’s body, won’t it be better to retake your own body and get your revenge on him with your own hands?” the blonde asked and saw the shaking increase before something shifted. He could practically see the shadow as it passed by his, the rat starting to screech loudly.

“Now!” Akihito called, turning to look over his shoulder at where Mashiro rolled the cot back into the refrigerator, moving aside so Oogushi could close the door as quickly as possible. The screaming of the rat could still be heard despite the thickness of the door as all occupants of the room stared at it. Well, minus one, considering Suoh had collapsed somewhere in the transferring of spirits.

“W-what happened?” Jirou asked confused and Akihito turned to Asami, walking up to him.

“Where is his spirit now?” Kirishima asked as they watched the blonde pick up the raven’s hand, smiling at the warmth he could feel gradually return.

“He’s not in your arm anymore” he said as he looked up at his lover who was sending his hand a frown.

“It feels lighter” he agreed and Akihito nodded.

“It might be possible that it’ll take a while before you get the feeling like it’s your own arm again, but he won’t be possessing you anymore” he said and Mashiro looked interested.

“Why is that?” he asked and Akihito turned away again, knowing he still had something to finish up, looking at the medical examiner.

“Because it takes too much energy. The spirit tired himself out trying to take over one person’s body and believed it to be better and less energy consuming to return to his own body. But because that was made of wax, he has no choice but to possess the rat instead. He doesn’t have the energy to try and possess another body instead, so he can only possess the sick animal and live for another few days, or decide to disappear right now” he explained and then looked at Jirou, the expression on his face blank and the look in his eyes cold, the complete opposite of what he had shown the restaurant owner up until that moment.

“What you are trying to do will not work either” he said and saw the shaggy haired raven’s eyes widen.

“What are you talking about?” he asked confused and Akihito regarded him with fake calmness.

“Don’t play dumb. I told you I can see spirits. Hara Kazuki, Sekihara Minako, Miya Kaede, Abe Izumi, Fuijiwara Maki. They’re all here. Of course, that includes Sasaki Emiko as well” the blonde said, sparing a glance at the female spirits lined up behind the raven who froze with wide eyes.

“Emiko is?” he asked and Akihito narrowed his eyes.

“She’s always been at your side, even when you kidnapped, imprisoned and killed those four girls. She’s also one of the spirits who begged me to stop you. Not that she needed to. I would have stopped you anyway” he said and Jirou blinked confused.

“W-Why would you do that?” he asked and Oogushi scoffed sardonically, but the shaggy haired raven was genuinely confused. He believed that as long as he was doing it out of love, there was no way he could be doing something wrong. The death of his girlfriend had broken his mind beyond repair, yet Akihito couldn’t bring himself to pity the man.

“No matter how many girls you kill, Emiko will never be able to come back to you” the blonde said and Jirou shook his head in disbelieve.

“What are you talking about? She’s already here, right? You said you can see her and I can feel her. I’m sure it’s her. It’s just a matter of giving her a body that she likes” he said and Akihito sighed.

“If only it was that, it would be easy and spirits could return to the living as much as they liked. But it’s not that easy” the blonde said, regarding the raven.

“A spirit has to be compatible with a body” he said and Jirou nodded.

“I know that! That’s why I picked out the girls who had the same age as Emiko. Who were just as tall, had brown hair and dark eyes” he said, convinced of his own explanation.

“In theory, that would work, yeah. But theory is not reality. In reality, a spirit needs to be compatible with the body. It’s not about appearance or anything like that. The spirit has to want to enter the body” he said and Jirou chuckled, though it sounded unsettling to the blonde’s ears.

“What are you saying? You’re making it sound as if Emiko doesn’t want to come back to me” he said and Akihito regarded him.

“Because she doesn’t” he said honestly, making the smile fall off the raven’s face.

“She asked me to stop you, because she doesn’t want to live. Because she knows that it can never work. And even if she did and if it worked, it wouldn’t be for long. The body she would be in, would get sick because the wrong spirit is in it” he said and Jirou looked up at him.

“T-then, what if I get her body back? Then, there wouldn’t be a problem, right? She’s buried in her home-country instead of cremated, so it’s possible, right?” he asked hopefully but the priest’s expression remained unchanging.

“What you are trying to do is not preparing a body for her to possess, it’s zombifying. It’s something completely different. Her body has been an empty vessel for too long. You’re not giving her a second chance to live, you’re trying to shackle her to a body” he said and something seemed to snap inside the raven’s head.

“You’re wrong!” he yelled, reaching up to clutch his head as he hunched forward. From the corner of his eyes, Akihito could see Asami, Kirishima and Oogushi shuffle forward, ready to jump in if needed.

“You’re wrong! She will come back! Emiko wants to live! I prepared bodies for her to take over! I picked them out with special care and made sure that they were exactly like her. When I think about how she will come back to me, I can’t control myself! I know that she’ll come back to me! She promised that she would always be with me! She wants to live with me!” Jirou said, his voice sounding as unhinged as his mind, yet Akihito’s mouth worked faster than his mind.

“Then why hasn’t she come back yet, despite the opportunities you have given her?” he asked and Jirou shook his head like a little child refusing to listen to reason.

“No! She will come back to me! I just need to find the right body for her to take over! I’ll continue searching for the one she likes enough to revive in” he said and Akihito grimaced.

“No matter how many girls you kill, she won’t come back to a serial killer like you, in a body you killed with your own hands. But the truth is, you already know this, right” he said, rubbing salt in the wounds. He knew he probably shouldn’t have, but it was hard for him to hold his tongue in a situation that pissed him off. He flinched back when Jirou screamed, launching himself towards the blonde who took a step back. The shaggy haired raven didn’t get very far, grabbed mid-step and forced to the ground by Kirishima and Oogushi while Asami stepped in front of his lover.

“He didn’t specifically admit to killing the girls, but I hope that’s enough of a statement” Akihito said as he looked at the inspector who pulled out his handcuff from his lower back.

“You’re insane” he said and the blonde huffed amused.

“You’re welcome” he responded and the inspector shook with his head, hauling Jirou to his feet while summing up his rights while Akihito looked at the female spirits.

“I’ll visit your families soon, so remain there a little longer if you want me to tell them something” he told them and heard them thank him before disappearing. Akihito was startled by a hand appearing in front of his face, a little too close for comfort.

“What are you doing, Mashiro-san?” the blonde asked as he leaned away from the hand stretched out towards him.

“I want to dissect you. Won’t you give me your head when you die?” the medical examiner asked and Akihito gave a troubled, uncomfortable little laugh.

“I’ll think about it” he said, just to get the creepy old man off his back. This was why he couldn’t handle the guy.

“If we’re finished here, we’ll be taking our leave now” Asami said sharply, even when his voice seemed even, his arm curling around Akihito’s waist to steer him away from the man who looked like he might even outlive the blonde. Maybe he did have some yokai blood in him or something?

“Are you alright?” Asami asked as they stepped into the car Asami had arrived with, a disoriented Suoh stepping in on the passenger’s side while Kirishima took the wheel. Akihito looked up at his lover in confusion, his brows furrowing.

“It’s not my first time confronting malicious ghosts or killers. I should be the one asking you that. You were the one with a possessed hand” he said and Asami clenched and unclenched the mentioned limb.

“I’ll be fine. It’s starting to feel like my arm again. But why do you keep holding your stomach?” he asked, turning the spotlight back to the blonde who tensed slightly before averting his gaze. Still self-conscious under the man’s gaze, he averted his face entirely, looking outside the window.

“Because I’m pregnant. It’s an automatic reaction, I can’t help it” he said, resting his chin on top of his raised palm, his elbow supported on the window sill as he felt his stomach turn in nervousness for the raven’s reaction. Don’t get him wrong, it wasn’t like he was planning to keep it a secret. He was just going to tell his lover after his OB appointment so he had a scan as proof. His appointment was in two days anyway.

“What?” Asami asked confused, clearly taken off guard and Akihito didn’t blame him, looking at the older man from the corner of his eyes.

“Are you sure? Did you take a test?” he asked and Akihito looked away again.

“Four of them and I went to the doctor for a blood test. They all came back positive” he said and resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably in his seat as the raven remained silent for a short while before he leaned forward, knocking on the divider between the driver and the backseat.

“Something wrong, sir?” Kirishima asked as Akihito perked up.

“To the hospital” Asami said and the priest frowned as he watched his lover sit back in his seat.

“What? Why? I already have an appointment in two days” he said and the older male looked at him.

“And I’m saying we’re going to see my private doctor now. How far along are you?” he asked and Akihito shrugged.

“I don’t know. I was going to find that out during my appointment. You can’t tell something like that by pregnancy tests or blood-tests” he said and Asami turned slightly towards him, a serious yet hesitant expression on his face.

“I’m only going to ask this once, and I’m not accusing you of anything. I just want to make sure” he said and Akihito frowned at him, wondering what the older man was being so careful about.

“Are you sure it’s not Fei-long’s?” he asked and Akihito bristled affronted at the mere idea of it.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Back then, I was swallowing emergency pills like they were tic tacs! And I got my heat afterwards! Or did you forget that I wasn’t even able to move on my first day? That I was stuck on the couch with a heat-pack on my stomach and my back?! You couldn’t feel it but I could, the clenching of my uterus as it tried to commit seppuku! You even made a freaking PMS joke, you asshole!” the blonde ranted and Asami hid his mouth with his hand.

“So I’m going to be there this time? From the beginning?” he asked and Akihito could just hear the smile in his voice. For some odd reason, he could feel a flush rise up to his cheeks as the raven chuckled.

“I see. That’s good” he said before turning to the blonde again.

“Should we see if we can break down the wall between the two penthouses on my floor, or do we look for a decent house to move into?” he asked and Akihito’s eyes widened.

“Oi, oi, that’s going too far! We can just change the office into a room or make Yurihiko share his” the blonde said and Asami scoffed.

“Don’t be ridiculous. We need something bigger if we’re going to have a second kid joining us. Let’s buy a house, one that is closer to a good school for the children” he said and turned back to the duo in front.

“Kirishima, when you have time, look up some houses in Tokyo with a good neighborhood and four rooms at least, just in case” Asami said and Akihito shook his head.

“Four?!” he parroted and Asami all but waved him off, barely sparing him a glance.

“Just in case, I said, didn’t I? Who knows what happens in the future?” he asked and the blonde stared at him.

“You use a condom and I’m switching over to a better contraception!” he exclaimed and Asami levelled his lover with an arrogant look, as if he was looking down on the priest.

“Do you have any idea how constricting a condom is?” he asked and Akihito narrowed his eyes at the older man.

“Do you have any idea how constricting it is to push a kid out of your body? It’s easy going in, but the same can’t be said for coming out, you know! Constipation is nothing compared to labor, idiot!” he said and Asami laid his hand on the blonde’s knee.

“You did it before, right? I’m sure you can do it again” he assured and the priest punched the older man’s thigh, hitting him right in the muscle.

“That’s not the problem! And at least let me change before you drag me to the hospital. I can’t go in looking like this” he said and Asami subtly rubbed his abused thigh.

“You look fine. Now shut up and get inside. I want to meet Yurihiko’s brother or sister. Can you see it already?” he asked and Akihito frowned.

“I don’t know. I thought it was somewhere in the second trimester. This is my first time too, you know. I didn’t even know I was pregnant the last time” he said and Asami hummed thoughtfully.

“Then we’ll just have to study a little more, won’t we. Oh and get a security system for the house. One that’s better than in the penthouse” he said and turned to his head of security as Akihito turned to look out of the window, feeling his cheeks and his nape burn red.

“You’re too excited about this, idiot” he mumbled into his hand, his other clutched in his lover’s larger hand on his knee. However, he wasn’t the only excited. When they told Yurihiko his little sibling was only eleven weeks old inside his mother’s stomach, he almost immediately started cleaning up his room, before talking to the blonde’s stomach as if the tiny alien could hear him. Akihito had the feeling those two would exhaust him more than his pregnancy would. Kirishima’s mother-henning wasn’t exactly helping, even when the omega knew it was meant well. However, the massages he had urged his boss to learn did come in handy when the priest’s belly grew as moths passed. Feeling like he had swallowed a balloon and decorating a nursery in a new home didn’t combine well, but it was well worth it when the crime-lord would work the kinks out of his muscles without the blonde even having to ask for it.

Luckily, Sachiko and Hidenori were always ready to jump in when needed and even when not, showing up at their house at least once a week with food enough to feed an army. Not that Akihito or Yurihiko complained about that. The little blonde did complain when they laughed with him when he cried, being the first one to hold his newborn baby brother. It was a picture Akihito would print on a large canvas, just to spite the little monkey when he entered puberty. It was a bit regrettable that Yoshio could only show up once in a while because Hanako was still refusing to meet Akihito, but that couldn’t be helped. At least his father was making an effort to pass by more, ignoring his wife’s tantrums to see his son and his two grandchildren. Akihito didn’t feel sorry for being unable to see his mother, because if she was really so against him, he didn’t need her in his life. He was happier without her anyway. She was only hurting herself by shunning him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking your time to read this!


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